Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher TJ Watt was one of many Steelers players caught on video publicly expressing their displeasure during the team’s Week 4 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Watt’s frustration during the game appeared to be directed at Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who grabbed an earpiece on the sideline that appeared to communicate with Graham.
To some, Watt’s actions may be seen as somehow damaging and disrespectful to Graham. But to former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, there’s no question that a guy like Watt has the right to publicly express his dissatisfaction with Graham’s defensive tactics.
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The two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback discussed the incident on the latest episode of his podcast “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger,” explaining that the message Watt sent to Graham likely hit home with players because it’s not something Watt typically does.
“When it doesn’t happen that often… when T.J. Watt catches that thing, it’s probably like, ‘OK, something happened,'” Roethlisberger said. “If he does it every week, it’s like, ‘What are we doing?’ He has every right to do it. He’s a leader, he’s a captain. I think he’s a captain, and he should be. If not, he’s a Hall of Famer. He’s the bright spot on this team. Because he doesn’t do it that often, it’s going to progress.”
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Whether you think Watt is justified or not, he certainly seems to be a respected enough player to express his opinions publicly without being criticized by past organizational greats like Roethlisberger.
Watt and the Steelers defense will look to rebound from a Week 4 loss when they host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5 of the NFL season, who come into the game off the back of back-to-back wins over the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders.