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Steelers Star T.J. Watt Faces Online Attacks from Jets Fans, Leaving Him Under Pressure Ahead of Week 1

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Pittsburgh, PA – September 5, 2025

Steelers vs. Jets in Week 1 was already circled on calendars, but the rivalry heated up even more this week when New York fans took aim at Pittsburgh’s defensive cornerstone, T.J. Watt. In the days leading up to kickoff, Jets fans flooded social media with criticism, mocking Watt’s recent performances, questioning his durability, and claiming the Jets’ offensive line would neutralize him.

For New York, the trolling was strategic – an attempt to rattle Watt ahead of a primetime opener. Comments swarmed his mentions, with fans eager to gain a mental edge by taking shots online rather than on the field.

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Steelers Nation, however, wasn’t about to let their captain stand alone. Pittsburgh fans quickly fired back, turning Watt’s social media into a battleground. What began as mocking posts evolved into a full-scale fan war, with two of the league’s loudest and proudest fanbases colliding days before kickoff.

Watt didn’t shy away from the drama. Instead, he leaned into it with a clear, focused response that showed why he’s the heartbeat of the Steelers defense.

“They can say whatever they want,” Watt declared. “The game isn’t won on Twitter. The game is won on the field. And when that ball is kicked off, no amount of online noise will change what I’m here to do.”

The timing couldn’t be bigger. With Pittsburgh traveling to face a Jets team that added heavy reinforcements in the offseason, Watt’s mindset will be tested both in the trenches and under the spotlight. The Steelers need him to set the tone up front, and his message was simple: the outside noise won’t shake his focus.

For Steelers fans, the online chaos only adds to the anticipation. What was supposed to be just another Week 1 matchup has now turned into a statement game. Pittsburgh knows New York is hungry to prove themselves, but with Watt locked in, Steelers Nation believes their star defender will rise above the noise and let his play do the talking.

Steelers suffer a major loss despite beating the Browns following a serious-looking injury to team captain
Danny Smith is a national treasure in the Pittsburgh area. The special teams coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers is known for chewing about 10 sticks of gum at one time and always being full of energy. He’s also known for coordinating one of the best special team units in the league. You think of Boswell and the kicking game, the blocked field goals, heck, even Corliss Waitman selling the running into the kicker against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. But the coverage units are what make the Steelers’ special teams so valuable. And now, those units may be without their special teams captain for a while. Miles Killebrew exits Steelers win over Browns with knee injury The Miles Killebrew injury. Yikes! #Steelers #NFL 🙏 pic.twitter.com/13mvI7fHuf — Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) October 12, 2025 Killebrew was down and writhing in pain for a while before the broadcast cut away. He was able to walk off with some assistance, which is obviously much better than the cart coming out, but time will tell how serious things are. If the injury is as bad as it appears, the Steelers not only lose their special teams captain and locker room leader, but also defensive back depth. Jalen Ramsey came into the game banged up, Darius Slay left with a shoulder injury, and then Brandin Echols and Joey Porter Jr. were both injured in the fourth quarter. The safety position and defensive backfield as a whole is deep, but someone has to step up for Killebrew in case of an extended absence. Of course, if it got to the point that Killebrew was entering the game as a traditional safety (which we have seen in recent years) the Steelers certainly would be in a world of trouble. In any case, the Steelers are now on to Cincinnati to quote former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. With a short turnaround, the Steelers will be tasked with taking down a desperate Cincinnati Bengals squad in order to try and put a stranglehold on the division.