TJ Watt’s dominant start has him as the favorite for DPOY
The NFL season is one-third of the way complete and now that the dust from the crazy first few weeks of the season has settled, the awards leaders are beginning to pull away from the pack.
T.J. Watt, the definition of relentless consistency, has taken an overwhelming lead in the odds for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award. It is still fairly early in the season and many things can change, but if T.J. Watt continues to play at the level while adding some new tricks to his bag, then it should be a unanimous decision by season’s end.
Something that shows just how dominant T.J. is as a player, is the knowledge that teams spend all week game-planning how to stop and slow him down: but it still doesn’t work.
A show of true dominance is when the other team focuses that much energy on stopping one player but that player can still be the best at their position. It’s not a fluke when the production continues game after game and season after season. T.J. Watts’s relentless pursuit of being better than he was the game before is why teams are still unable to figure out how to stop him.
Watt has finished inside the top 3 in DPOY voting in 4 of the past 5 seasons, including winning the award for the first time in 2021. The only season he didn’t finish in the top 3 in DPOY voting was an injury-shortened 2022. He has been one of the most consistent and dominant players in the league over the past 5 seasons and looks to have stepped his game up for the 2024 season.
While Watt’s 4.5 sacks have him in eleventh place behind league leader Aidan Hutchinson’s 7.5. Unfortunately, Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury on Sunday and won’t be able to add to his tally, leaving the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence as the next active player ahead of Watt with 7.0 sacks. Four other players are tied with 5.0 sacks, so it’s safe to assume T.J. will close the gap on those players soon.
Watt is a half-sack ahead of last year’s DPOY, Myles Garrett, but also leads Garrett in several other categories, including combined and solo tackles, tackles-for-loss, and QB hits. Watt’s three forced fumbles are second to only 49ers linebacker Fred Warner.
Watt currently leads all defensive players in odds for the DPOY award at +140 on FanDuel Sportsbook, with the next closest being Will Anderson at +800. The Steelers’ defensive identity should help give T.J. another edge over other DPOY prospects. When a team cares about and takes pride in its toughness and defensive abilities, it helps elevate its greatest players at the same time.
Barring any health-related setbacks, I don’t see another player rising above T.J. Watt as the top defender in the league in 2024, but I’ve been proven wrong in the past. Before his odds get any better, Steelers fans would be smart to find a betting app available in Pennsylvania and place a wager on TJ Watt for DPOY.
With recent injuries to other top defensive players, Aaron Donald tucked away safely in retirement, and Garrett’s Browns starting the season 1-5, this award should T.J. Watt’s to win this season.
The Steelers look to be well on their way to another season of the hard-fought, tough-nosed style of football they have made their identity. With Mike Tomlin as the head coach, a trip to the playoffs is always a possibility for this team, and with T.J. Watt playing at the highest level, I wouldn’t dare count the Steelers out either.
