T.J. Watt Makes NFL History: Surpasses Brother J.J. on All-Time Sack List, Ignites Steelers’ Playoff Push

T.J. Watt just cemented another chapter in his growing legend, leaping past older brother and future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt on the NFL’s career sack list with a thunderous strip-sack of Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams that Pittsburgh linebacker Nick Herbig recovered for a touchdown. The play pushed Watt to 115.0 sacks, snapping the sibling record barely 109 regular-season games into his career and fueling the Steelers’ 27-17 victory in Week 12. Historic Sack Milestone The Bears matchup was circled even before kickoff; Watt entered a single sack behind J.J.’s 114.5 total. He needed just one series to hit 115, then added relentless pressure the rest of the afternoon, finishing with two QB hits, a pass deflection and five total tackles. At age 31, the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year is now 26th all-time and pacing for his third season of 15-plus sacks in the last five years. Impact on the Steelers’ Playoff Push Pittsburgh’s defense already ranked top-five in takeaways and red-zone efficiency. Watt’s momentum-swinging strip-sack gave the Steelers an early lead they never relinquished, inching them to 8-3 and solidifying a wild-card spot with seven weeks to play. Coordinator Teryl Austin continues to unleash creative overload blitzes that funnel quarterbacks toward Watt and Alex Highsmith, a formula that has Pittsburgh holding opponents under 20 points in five of its last six contests. All-Time Context Watt’s 115 sacks before turning 32 trail only Reggie White and DeMarcus Ware for fastest in NFL history. He is now just 10 sacks from tying Hall of Famer Richard Dent (125.5) for 10th place on the list of most sacks by a player’s ninth season. Should Watt match his career high of 22.5 sacks, he would catapult into the top 20 by January. Fantasy and Betting Angles Watt’s league-leading four defensive touchdowns since 2023 make him a weekly swing piece in IDP fantasy formats. Sportsbooks have slashed his Defensive Player of the Year odds from +600 to +275 overnight; bettors note that no edge rusher with 18-plus sacks has ever lost the award in a healthy season. Meanwhile, Steelers DST ownership jumped above 90% on major platforms by Sunday night. What’s Next The Steelers travel to Foxborough for a Thursday night clash with the Patriots’ inexperienced offensive line—an inviting setup for Watt to keep stacking numbers. Three more sacks would break Joey Porter Sr.’s franchise single-season record of 16 and set Watt up for a realistic run at Bruce Smith’s all-time mark of 200 before his current contract expires in 2028. With J.J. now praising his brother from the CBS broadcast booth, Pittsburgh fans may soon witness a new gold standard for pass rushing—one forged in the Watt family backyard and polished every Sunday beneath the lights of Acrisure Stadium.