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T.J. Watt embraces 'moving all around' in Steelers' new defense

T.J. Watt is expected to play on both sides of the formation this season under the new defensive scheme implemented by Mike McCarthy and Patrick Graham.

First seen Jul 31, 2026 · 1:38 PM UTC · last updated Jul 31 3:00 PM

Scoring Zone's Take

T.J. Watt's fantasy relevance is almost entirely IDP-driven, and this news matters most for IDP formats. Under new coordinator Patrick Graham's scheme, Watt is reportedly expected to line up on both sides of the formation this season rather than sticking to a single edge. For a player whose value is built on pass-rush win rate, that kind of flexibility is a positive signal — moving him around to exploit favorable matchups and confuse blocking assignments should, in theory, help sustain or grow his pressure and sack production, which is the backbone of his IDP scoring.

For draft prep, treat Watt as a locked-in top-tier IDP edge/DL asset in any league that rosters defensive players individually. This report doesn't change that valuation dramatically on its own, but it's a mild positive data point reinforcing that Pittsburgh's staff is building the scheme around maximizing his impact rather than boxing him into a limited role. In redraft IDP formats, continue drafting him as a premium DL1 with confidence; there's nothing here suggesting workload concerns, injury risk, or a scheme change that would diminish his opportunity — if anything, added positional versatility is a plus.

In standard non-IDP leagues, this news has no direct startable fantasy value since Watt doesn't accrue offensive stats, so no action is needed there. Confidence in the fantasy takeaway is high given both sources align at 90% confidence, though it's still offseason scheme talk — track Steelers training camp and preseason reports before finalizing draft rankings, since real usage won't be confirmed until games are played.

WATT EMBRACES MOVING AROUND IN STEELERS' NEW DEFENSET.J. WATT EMBRACES 'MOVING ALL AROUND' IN STEELERS' NEW DEFENSE

Former Steelers offensive lineman Max Starks joins The Insiders to discuss Pittsburgh's training camp under new head coach Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers' impact on the team.

After 19 years under Mike Tomlin, the first coaching change in Pittsburgh since 2007 comes with some transformations under Mike McCarthy.

One apparent adjustment on defense under coordinator Patrick Graham is the plan to play T.J. Watt on both sides of the formation in 2026.

While moving Watt around has been a conversation seemingly every offseason -- akin to the “RB will take more snaps at WR” storylines -- it appears this time around the Steelers are putting it into practice. Per Bob Labriola of the team’s official website, Watt played on both sides of the formation in Thursday’s practice.

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The plan makes plenty of sense, given the Steelers' ability to rotate high-end pass rushers with Watt, Alex Highsmith and newly paid Nick Herbig, as well as second-year rusher Jack Sawyer.

"Very dynamic, very elite group," Watt said of the edge group. "I think you're going to see us moving all around. I know I say it every year, but I think you're truly going to see us moving all around this year. It's a better problem to have when you have guys who are really capable to affect the game in any area. I think that if we do things that we really set out to do in this training camp and get this thing like a well-oiled machine with us three, it'll be special.

"I'm just trying to be open-minded, just trying to do anything to affect [the opposing offense] whether it's how they are doing protection schemes, how they're running the ball. Wherever I can move around or just knock down inside, be able to allow Herbig to come outside, whatever it takes to win football games, whatever it takes to mess up the offensive scheme, I'm willing to do."

Of Watt’s 879 defensive line snaps in 2025, he played all but 10 on the left side, per Pro Football Focus.

Coverage from Nfl Dot Com News · by Kevin Patra · Jul 31, 2026 · read original