Appeal for History Denied

T.J. Watt will have to continue sharing the NFL’s single-season sack record with Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.

On Wednesday, the Steelers appealed in vain to the Elias Sports Bureau — the league’s official statistician — to overturn a ruling on what looked like a first-quarter sack against the Ravens in Week 18. He was credited with a tackle for loss and forced fumble.

His second-quarter sack, which arguably should’ve set the record, instead was No. 22.5. But it still capped one of the greatest defensive seasons of all time.

• Watt led the league in sacks for the second consecutive season and has 72 in 77 career games.
• The four-time Pro Bowler also led the NFL in tackles for loss (21), QB hits (39), and fumble recoveries (3).
• He is the first Steeler to be named team MVP three seasons in a row.

Just prior to the season, the 27-year-old Watt inked a four-year, $112 million contract extension, making him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player.

Watt was a big reason they still made the playoffs, and with a bottom-12 scoring offense, he’ll need to make a difference again on Sunday against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who are heavily favored (-12.5*).