Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt made it off the COVID-19 reserve list in time to play against the Ravens on Sunday and he had a big hand in the Pittsburgh win.
Watt set a personal record with 3.5 sacks in the 20-19 win and pressured Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on the two-point conversion try that fell incomplete to seal the win late in the fourth quarter. Watt is now up to 16 sacks on the season and that has him at the top of the list of favorites for defensive player of the year consideration at the end of the season.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger thinks his teammate should be in the mix for another award as well. Roethlisberger called Watt “a game changer and a game wrecker” while telling reporters on Tuesday that he thinks Watt should be in the MVP mix.
“He should be recognized more than just . . . I mean, I don’t know who else is defensive player of the year other than that guy,” Roethlisberger said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. “I’m sure there are other candidates, I just don’t know. But he should absolutely get MVP votes as well because that’s what kind of player he is.”
No defensive player has been named the league’s MVP since Lawrence Taylor in 1986 and Alan Page was the previous winner in 1971, so it would be quite unexpected to see Watt wind up with the prize. That’s reflected in the odds against it happening — Watt’s currently 250-1 at PointsBet — but a few more days like Sunday would make things interesting for voters.