Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers’ early playoff exit, star pass-rusher T.J. Watt doesn’t want to play for any other team.

“I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler,” Watt told reporters on Monday. “You guys know that. I don’t want to leave this place. I want to be part of the solution.”

“I love the people here, and that goes beyond just the coaches,” he explained. “It’s the fanbase, it’s the people, the community. We owe it to them to get it right.”

The Steelers sat at 10-3 through 14 weeks, but they lost four straight games heading into the playoffs before they were defeated 28-14 by the Baltimore Ravens in a Wild Card matchup on Saturday.

Watt’s individual 2024 season followed a similar trajectory.

After racking up 9.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles during his first 12 appearances, the former Defensive Player of the Year recorded just two sacks and one forced fumble to go along with three tackles for loss in his final five regular-season starts.

He also failed to register a sack, quarterback hit or tackle during the playoff loss to Baltimore despite being on the field for 85 percent of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps (via Pro Football Reference).

Watt’s mindset is admirable, considering it isn’t difficult to imagine him bouncing back in 2025. He’s only one year removed from amassing a league-leading 19 sacks during his 2023 campaign.

The Steelers will enter the 2025 season looking to avenge another early playoff defeat, and Watt expects to continue operating as a key piece in their defensive front.