Mike McCarthy believes less could be more for T.J. Watt. With Watt facing pressure to respond after a disappointing 2025 season, McCarthy doesn’t want to wear him out by season’s end. Walking that line won’t be easy, but McCarthy made clear that’s his goal for the year.
“I’m not interested in seeing T.J. average 60-plus plays a game,” McCarthy told reporters via the team website earlier Wednesday. “That’s not the best for him, and that’s not the best for us as a defense. It’s important for us to keep those guys fresh and make sure they’re at their best in the fourth quarter.”
Last year, Watt came close to that mark. In the 14 games he started, Watt logged 812 defensive snaps, an average of 58 per contest. Here are his recent yearly averages.
2025: 58 snaps per game
2024: 55.2 snaps per game
2023: 54.8 snaps per game
Pittsburgh’s defense was simply on the field far too often last year as the Steelers finished nearly last in time of possession. A stronger offense that controls the ball, paired with a defense able to generate more third-down stops will go a long way in reducing the snap count for everyone, including Watt.
Still, McCarthy’s approach is specific to Watt. It’s a point we made in the offseason as one of several ways to assist Watt in returning as one of the NFL’s most-feared players. Here’s what we wrote in July.
“Watt’s playing style is all-out. It’s part of what has made him a great linebacker. It also comes at the cost of additional wear and tear on his body, which has led to injuries and hampered his play.
Reducing his snap count a couple of ticks will keep him fresh from start to finish, in-game and throughout the season. Pittsburgh has an incentive to do so. Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig need their snaps, and the Steelers could create a true three-headed attack instead of Highsmith and Herbig most often rotating.”
McCarthy’s logic seems similar. He’ll lean on the strength of Pittsburgh’s EDGE rush quartet to sustain pressure without overburdening any player.
“Look for Jack [Sawyer],” McCarthy said. “He’s gotta be part of that also. He’ll be part of it on special teams. But we wanna play our players here.”
Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig are highly-paid and capable to play in any situations. Sawyer enjoyed a solid rookie season and can improve even more if he works on his pass rush arsenal.
Pittsburgh plans to use three outside linebacker packages this year. The defense plans to move Watt around more than the old regime did. McCarthy also plans on using Watt less, at least a little, so he can be at his best for the stretch regular season run and ideally, for multiple playoff games.