T.J. Watt had a sensational outing in Week 2, highlighted by a takedown of Deshaun Watson, which earned Watt the honor of being the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise sack record holder (81.5).
In late August, sports media personality and former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee pledged $500,000 to a charity of Watt’s choosing should he surpass the record he co-owns with Michael Strahan.
Buy Steelers TicketsTJ Watt is on pace for 34 SACKS..
He's PHENOMENAL and when he breaks the sack record we owe him a $500,000 donation to a charity of his choice#PMSLive #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/OVd5Vl5Vdy
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 19, 2023
When the grand gesture went viral, the national debate became: Will he break the record? So far, all signs point to yes. He’s well on his way. Watt, knotted with Vikings LB Danielle Hunter for the league lead with four sacks, is on pace for 34. Getting there would far surpass the all-time record of 22.5, which Watt tied in his 2021 Defensive Player of the Year season.
“T.J. Watt is going to cement his name, I believe, as the man with the most sacks in one single season,” McAfee said. “Now, when he breaks it, we’ll owe him $500,000,” McAfee said. “That’s something that just came flowing out of my mouth when we were talking. This son of a b—- is gonna do it.”
Adding to his total could be a taller task Sunday night in Vegas. The Raiders are doing a solid job protecting Jimmy Garoppolo, who hasn’t been sacked through two games. Then again, we’re talking about T.J. Watt. In Week 4, Watt is almost guaranteed to feast — Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has taken 11 sacks so far.
