Where Steelers’ T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith currently rank among franchise’s all-time pass-rushing duos

You’ll to find little argument when discussing the NFL’s ultimate duo of move rushers, a identify this is owned by means of Steelers linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. The giant query is the place Watt and Highsmith rank among the Steelers’ all-time move rush duos. 

The duo confirmed off in entrance of a chief time target audience in Week 2. Highsmith kicked issues off with a pick-six of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson at the first play. Watt sealed the Steelers’ 26-22 win over Cleveland along with his fumble restoration of Highsmith’s strip-sack of Watson. 

Highsmith, who turns 26 in August, is coming off a breakout 2022 marketing campaign that noticed him sign in 14.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and a league-best 5 compelled fumbles. Highsmith’s manufacturing final season used to be extra spectacular bearing in mind that an enormous portion of it used to be executed with fellow move rusher T.J. Watt sidelined with an harm. Watt, in spite of the harm, earned his 5th consecutive Pro Bowl look three hundred and sixty five days after being named Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 after tying Michael Strahan’s NFL single-season document of twenty-two.5 sacks.

By extending Highsmith this summer time, the Steelers have locked up either one of their beginning move rushers for the foreseeable long term. Highsmith is now signed in the course of the 2028 season, whilst Watt’s present deal (which used to be inked two summers in the past) runs in the course of the 2025 marketing campaign. During that point, the duo will have the option to climb up the next record of the most efficient pass-rushing duos in Steelers historical past, a listing that incorporates a number of Hall of Fame caliber gamers. 

1. Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene (1993-95) 

Lloyd and Greene had been the anchor of the Steelers’ famed Nineties “Blitzburgh” protection. During their 3 seasons in combination, the Steelers boasted one of the most NFL’s best defenses that spearheaded Pittsburgh to consecutive AFC Central department titles, back-to-back AFC Championship sport appearances and a close to disillusioned of the closely preferred Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX. 

The intimidating Lloyd used to be named an All-Pro all the way through every of his 3 seasons taking part in along Greene. He additionally led the NFL in compelled fumbles two times all the way through that span. Greene, a 2016 Hall of Fame inductee, used to be named to 2 Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors in 1994 after main the NFL with 14 sacks whilst taking part in with Lloyd, who would even be within the Hall of Fame if no longer for a career-altering harm he suffered originally of the ’96 season. 

There wasn’t a greater pass-rushing duo within the NFL all the way through past due 2000s/early 2010s. From 2008-11, Harrison and Woodley blended to document 88.5 sacks within the common season and an extra 16 sacks within the postseason. Woodley tallied 11 playoff sacks all the way through that span, together with six sacks all the way through Pittsburgh’s 2008 playoff run that culminated along with his game-clinching strip-sack of Kurt Warner on the finish of Super Bowl XLIII. Harrison, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year that season, made historical past previous that night time when he recorded the longest pick-six in Super Bowl history. 

3. L.C. Greenwood and Dwight White (1971-80) 

More fresh Steelers defenses have leaned on their out of doors backers to supply a move rush, however within the Seventies, that job used to be put on defensive ends Greenwood and White. Half of the Steelers’ famed “Steel Curtain” defensive position (Joe Greene and Ernie Holmes made up the opposite part), White and Greenwood had been integral forces on every of Pittsburgh’s 4 Super Bowl wins all the way through the ’70s. 

White, in spite of shedding just about 20 kilos with pneumonia, performed and recorded the primary protection in Super Bowl historical past all the way through Pittsburgh’s win over the Vikings in Super Bowl IX. Greenwood deflected 3 of Fran Tarkenton’s passes that day because the Steelers’ protection close out the Vikings’ offense. A 12 months later, the duo sacked Roger Staubach a blended six instances in Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl X win over Dallas. 

4. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith (2020-present) 

This duo earned this spot after their dominant appearing in Week 2. In that sport, Watt broke James Harrison’s franchise sack document by means of gathering his 81.fifth profession sack. Assuming each gamers keep wholesome, it is possible to be expecting that Watt and Highsmith will ruin Harrison and Woodley’s document of maximum blended sacks by means of Steelers teammates in one season. The quantity to overcome is 27.5 sacks, which Harrison and Woodley blended to document all the way through the Steelers’ most up-to-date championship season (2008). 

5. Joey Porter and Jason Gildon (1999-03)

Many overlook that Porter and Gildon performed in combination all the way through massively other instances in each gamers’ careers. Porter used to be simply starting his profession when Gildon used to be in the course of his high after spending a number of years taking part in in the back of Lloyd and Greene. 

During their 5 seasons in combination, Porter and Gildon blended for 74.5 quarterback sacks. They had a blended 23.5 sacks in 2000 whilst main a Steelers protection that recorded two shutouts and allowed simply 18 issues over a five-game span. The duo had a blended 21 sacks the next season to lend a hand lead Pittsburgh to inside of a sport of the Super Bowl. 

Gildon left the Steelers because the franchise’s all-time sack chief. Porter later served as one of the most key gamers in Pittsburgh’s 2005 Super Bowl run.