T.J. Watt has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL since debuting with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017. As Watt eclipsed another milestone in Week 5, we look at some of the standout stats of Watt’s already illustrious career.
How Many Players Have 100+ Career Sacks?
Watt surpassed the century mark against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5 to become the 44th player to officially have 100 career sacks (individual sacks have only been recorded since 1982).
Watt officially became the second-fastest player to reach the century mark. Sunday’s matchup with the Dallas Cowboys was Watt’s 109th career game. Only Reggie White has gotten to 100 sacks in fewer games. The players with the fewest games played to reach 100 career sacks:
- Reggie White – 96 games
- T.J. Watt – 109 games
- DeMarcus Ware – 113 games
- Bruce Smith – 115 games
Which Team Does Watt Have the Most Sacks Against?
Watt has tortured his divisional opponents. The Cleveland Browns are the team against which he has the most sacks (17), with the Baltimore Ravens close behind (16). By that measure, the Cincinnati Bengals (12) have actually fared quite well against Watt. The Indianapolis Colts are the non-division opponent against which he has the most sacks, with 5.5 in six games.
From an individual passer perspective, here are the quarterbacks Watt has taken down the most in his career:
- Baker Mayfield: 8.5 sacks
- Lamar Jackson: 7.5 sacks
- Tyler Huntley: 4 sacks
- Joe Burrow: 3.5 sacks
- Jeff Driskel: 3.5 sacks
How Many Times Has T.J. Watt Led the NFL in Sacks?
Watt has led the NFL in sacks three of the last four years (2020-21, 2023). That included a record-tying 22.5 sacks in 2021, when he won Defensive Player of the Year after tying 2001 Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record.
T.J. Watt ties @michaelstrahan’s single-season sack record! (22.5) #HereWeGo
📺: #PITvsBAL on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/fqMJWJrFAV— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2022
Watt is the only player to lead the NFL in sacks three or more times since sacks became official in 1982. If you include unofficial totals, which date back to 1960, Deacon Jones (five times) is the only player to lead the league in sacks more often.
How Does T.J. Watt Stack Up vs J.J. Watt?
The Watts will go down as one of the greatest brother duos in NFL history, and likely the best pass-rushing duo ever. T.J. will likely cruise past his older brother’s career sack total, as J.J. finished with 114.5 sacks in 12 seasons with the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals.
However, J.J.’s peak is tough to top. He won Defensive Player of the Year three times in a four-year span (2012, 2014-15), while also leading the NFL in sacks twice (2012, 2015). Injuries mostly sapped J.J.’s longevity after his first eight seasons, but he finished strong with 12.5 sacks in his final season in 2022.
If you look at each player’s first 100 career games, the totals are extremely similar:
- J.J. Watt First 100 Games: 87.5 sacks, 5x first-team All-Pro, three Defensive Player of the Year awards
- T.J. Watt First 100 Games: 91.5 sacks, 4x first-team All-Pro, one Defensive Player of the Year award