T.J. Watt has officially signed his contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That should keep him with the team for the next four years. Hopefully, during that time, he can finally win a playoff game. Since they drafted Watt in 2017, the Steelers haven’t been able to win a playoff game. That isn’t all on Watt’s shoulders, but he’s still taking it personally.

“Winning a Super Bowl is no doubt motivating me, and winning a playoff game is absolutely motivating me,” Watt said Tuesday via Graham Bensinger’s YouTube channel. “It’s something that we haven’t been able to do since I’ve been there.

“I think that’s absolutely unacceptable, and that is what’s attached to my name right now. And I have to answer for that as much as it sucks. When you say T.J. Watt, you say T.J. Watt’s not won a playoff game.”

It makes sense that Watt is chasing postseason success. He’s been one of the best players in the NFL, but that hasn’t correlated to playoff success. In fact, most of the Steelers’ playoff losses with Watt have been blowouts. That has to add an extra chip to Watt’s shoulder.

Also, he’s had loads of individual success. After only eight years in the league, Watt has been named Defensive Player of the Year, tied the single-season sack record, and become the Steelers’ all-time sack leader. If he retired tomorrow, his spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame would be secure.

However, teams win games, not individual players. It isn’t all Watt’s fault that the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game. Despite that, he still bears much responsibility for the team’s failures.

“Genuinely bothers me because I’m a part of those teams. As much as I’m only one player, as much as whoever’s one player, you are putting your hand in the pile, too. I feel like I can make a difference enough to help win a playoff game.”

In the past, Watt has done his best to help the Steelers win playoff games. In the 2021 postseason, he scored the game’s first touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs, running a fumble back for a score. Unfortunately, the Steelers would go on to get blown out in that matchup, losing 42-21.

However, that goes to show Watt’s impact. In his eight years with the Steelers, they’ve only missed the postseason three times. One of those was the 2022 season, when Watt suffered a major injury and never quite looked like himself. Another was 2019, when Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the year due to injury.

Unfortunately, Watt’s heroics won’t stop people from talking about his lack of playoff wins. In the NFL, winning is everything. No matter how many individual accolades he racks up, Watt will always be frustrated if he doesn’t win a postseason game.

This year, he and the Steelers have a good shot at reversing their misfortunes. Watt sounds more motivated than ever to finally experience a playoff win. Hopefully, he gets his wish sooner rather than later.