Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt is excited about what the future holds for his team. Watt is joining some new faces on the defensive side of the ball, to help Pittsburgh reach the NFL Playoffs once again.

Watt says this year's defense will look a bit different from years past.

“I think you're going to see a different mix of coverages, especially man coverage, and just other things that we are able to do to be able to allow us to get after the quarterback a little bit more,” Watt said in an interview with NFL Network.

 

Watt signed a massive three-year contract extension this summer, to pay him $123 million. He is joined by new addition Jalen Ramsey and others to lead the Steelers on defense for the 2025 campaign.

Watt says his head coach Mike Tomlin is helping the defense with its new look.

“That's the thing he always says, ‘adapt or die.' That's the cool with Mike T. He's always changing as the game changes,” Watt added. “It's been great.”

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Watt finished his 2024 season with 11.5 sacks, and six forced fumbles.

Steelers face pressure to win in the 2025 season

The Steelers made the playoffs once again during the 2024 season, but lost once again in their first postseason game. It's been nearly a decade since the Steelers were able to advance in the playoffs. That is simply unacceptable to the fan base, who are used to the Steelers competing for Super Bowl championships.

Pittsburgh made some big changes before this season. There are several new additions to the squad including Ramsey, Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf. Steelers fans expect wins from Tomlin and company this year.

It certainly helps to have Watt back with the defense. There were lots of rumors floating around this summer that Pittsburgh may try to trade Watt, if the two sides couldn't reach an agreement on his contract. Those rumors were put to rest when Watt signed a new deal.

Pittsburgh starts their 2025 NFL preseason schedule on August 9. The Steelers play the Jacksonville Jaguars on that day.

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