Tying the NFL’s single-season sack record earned Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
His brother, J.J. Watt — a three-time defensive player of the year himself — presented him with the award, which was the first one announced at Thursday’s NFL Honors awards show in Los Angeles.
Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase was named Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons won Defensive Rookie of the Year.
T.J. Watt was an overwhelming winner as top defensive player, receiving 42 votes from a nationwide panel of media members. Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald each received three votes.
Watt tied Michael Strahan’s 2002 single-season sack record of 22.5 sacks despite missing two full games because of injury. He won the award at the end of season that began with the Steelers making him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player. At one point this season, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said Watt should not only be defensive player of the but also should receive MVP consideration.
“To be able to be recognized as the best defensive player in the year is definitely something that I strive to be,” Watt said after receiving the award. “I’m not huge on individual goals, but it’s tough for me not to want that when I saw my brother at the height of his career win the award three times. And I always just thought to myself, why can’t I do that?
“I’m just so motivated. I’m very honored to receive this award and to be voted when there’s so many successful and great players in the national football league. And I don’t think it’s fully hit me quite yet.”
Chase, the fifth overall pick in the draft, set the Bengals record for most receiving yards in a game (266) and season (1,455). He received 42 of the 50 votes. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (5), Chiefs center Creed Humphrey (2) and Chargers tackle Rashawn Slater (1) received the other votes. Chase accepted the award remotely from the Bengals’ Super Bowl headquarters nearby in Los Angeles.
Parsons, the 12th pick, was the unanimous pick, receiving all 50 votes. He helped transform the Cowboys defense and became the first rookie in team history to be named a first-team All-Pro. Parsons was equally as effective as an off-the-ball linebacker and a pass rusher. He set a Cowboys’ rookie record with 13 sacks and the coaches credited him with 64 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 42 quarterback pressures, three forced fumbles and three pass deflections in earning a Pro Bowl spot.
In other awards Thursday, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who tore the ACL in his left knee during his rookie season, edged Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott for Comeback Player of the Year. Burrow received 28 votes, Prescott 21 and Chargers defensive back Derwin James one.
Burrow, who suffered his injury in a late November 2020 loss to Washington, returned in time for the season opener and led the Bengals to the playoffs. He accepted the award remotely from the Bengals’ Super Bowl headquarters nearby.
Before the show, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was named assistant coach of the year. Quinn turned around a Dallas defense that allowed a franchise-record 473 points in 2020 into one that finished ninth in points per game and led the league in takeaways.
Quinn altered his defensive philosophy from the single-high scheme he learned in Seattle and brought with him to the Atlanta Falcons, where he had a five-year run as head coach, to a much more varied scheme with fronts and coverages. After the season ended, he interviewed for a number of head coaching vacancies but opted to pull his name from consideration to remain with the Cowboys on a multi-year extension.
