During an interview this offseason, J.J. Watt had his three defensive player of the year awards behind him. The Texans defensive end said they were for his younger brother, T.J. Watt, to see.
Since T.J. Watt entered the league in 2017, he has 34.5 sacks, including a career-best 14.5 last season. J.J. Watt has missed almost as many games (19) as he has sacks (20) the past three seasons, including four sacks in eight games last season.
J.J. Watt, 31, isn’t going to give his younger brother anything, though.
“Once he has three defensive player of the year awards, I’ll start to see him as a peer,” J.J. Watt said Monday, smiling.
J.J. Watt is rooting for T.J. Watt, though, as well as Steelers fullback Derek Watt, the middle brother.
“I’m really excited about it,” J.J. Watt said of T.J. “I love watching him play. It’s fun to watch. It’s fun to have conversations with him. It’s fun to talk in the offesason, work in the offesason. Obviously, Derek being on the other side of the ball, we can’t necessarily have the same conversations about what it takes to rush the passer and things like that.
“For me and T.J., playing the same position, fighting for the same things, trying to one up each other at all times, there’s nothing better than that. . . . Me and T.J., personally, there’s obviously a whole lot of competition going on, and I have no plans on letting my little brother win anytime soon.”
T.J. Watt, who turns 26 in October, earned his first All-Pro award last season. He has made the Pro Bowl each of the past two seasons. J.J. Watt has made All-Pro and the Pro Bowl only once the past four seasons because of injuries.
J.J. Watt has played 32 games the past four seasons, missed 32 games and made 21.5 sacks.