Ex-NFL QB believes Steelers’ T.J. Watt should be in MVP conversation

Pittsburgh Steelers star outside linebacker T.J. Watt has proven time and time again that he is an elite player, and that has already put him as the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year, an honor that he would notch for the second time in his career if he did win it.

Yet, former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovksy would go one further than that. Not only does he think that Watt should be part of the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, but because of what he means to the Steelers as a whole, he believes Watt should be in the conversation for the Most Valuable Player Award.♦

TJ Watt has been the best player in football this season Legit MVP candidate,” Orlovsky said.

Watt has made his impact felt all over the defense. He has 4.5 sacks but four forced fumbles on the season. Watt has done all of this with injuries across from him, with Jeremiah Moon filling in this week for the injured Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith.

Highsmith is expected to return against the New York Jets, but Watt has kept the Steelers afloat in many of the team’s games through his sheer consistency in making big plays in prime spots. That light was shone brightly in Las Vegas, where Watt had two forced fumbles on run plays.

He is unlikely ever to be a serious MVP contender just because the NFL and voters view this as a quarterback or offensive player award more than anything. But he is the leading candidate to notch his second Defensive Player of the Year Award, further solidifying his all-time great status if he can do just that.