Steelers And TJ Watt 'Would Have Been' Landing Spot For Return Admits A Confident JJ Watt

While shooting down the notion of Watt returning to the NFL has become a weekly segment for McAfee, this time, the retired Watt wanted to confirm that he isn't coming back while also dropping a fun comment about where he would have gone if a professional return had been on his mind. We all know how close the Watt brothers are and what family means to them, so news of the Steelers' Watt working out with his older brother isn't anything earth-shattering. However, when Watt eludes to a specific place he would have gone if an NFL comeback had been on his mind is something that he had to know would turn heads.

It doesn't take much for a simple conversation to turn into a complex quest to see what it would take to get Watt back into the league. McAfee was asking Watt if the Texans needed to get to a certain record or do something specific for him to be realistically interested in returning to the team, but Watt put that to rest quickly.

"It has nothing to do with that. I - we've talked about, like, if I would have done it, it would have been with my brother [TJ]. Like, it would have definitely been with my brother."

So, while we may not have a Watt reunion to look forward to, there is something comforting about knowing that if Watt had returned to the NFL, it would have been in black and gold. Having one Watt is a blessing enough, but it's always fun to dream.

Steelers' Watt Needs To Be Ready For The Challenge

The imagined duo of Pittsburgh's TJ Watt and his retired brother on the field at Acrisure Stadium won't actually happen. While that dream may not come to fruition, a shakeup in the Steelers coaching staff meant that at least some wishes do come true.

The news broke on Tuesday morning that the 2023 Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns was the straw that broke the back of the Matt Canada era in Pittsburgh. Mike Tomlin announced during his weekly press conference that the growth hadn't been enough and a change was needed. The fans will certainly be celebrating this historical event, considering that the last time the Steelers made an in-season coaching change, it was in 1941, but now the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of the players.

The Steelers have the league's best pass rusher in Watt, and he will be needed in each and every game to ensure that while the offense figures itself out post-Canada, the defense has their backs. It may not be pretty, it may not be what we all pictured a Canada-free Steelers offense to look like, but it is a step forward, even if we have to tread water for a bit while we get our bearings. This is when we get to see if Kenny Pickett is really a franchise quarterback, if the offensive line is really as talented as we thought during the 2023 preseason, and if Tomlin can once again take a rocking boat and turn it into a successful voyage.