On Saturday, NFL Network revealed the Top 10 players on its 2021 NFL Top 100, as voted on by the league’s players. Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt came in at No. 9 on the list, one spot ahead of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and just ahead of Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (No. 8), Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (No. 7) and Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (No. 6).
#️⃣9️⃣0️⃣ is #️⃣9️⃣ on the #NFLTop100
Similarly, the Top 5 also includes just one defensive player, that being Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who won AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, with T.J. Watt coming in as runner-up.
The best of the best: No. 5-1 on this year’s #NFLTop100!
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Watt is the third Steelers player to make the 2021 Top 100 list, ahead of defensive end Cameron Heyward (No. 57) and free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, the latter of whom was left “shaking his head” at placing no higher than No. 52 in the rankings.
T.J. Watt Expected to Sign a Contract Extension This Week
Meanwhile, the Steelers are working to negotiate a contract extension with T.J. Watt, who was the team’s first-round pick in 2017 (Wisconsin). Or perhaps, said extension has already been negotiated.
Last week, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Watt will sign an extension in the coming days, one that will “make him the league’s highest-paid defensive player.”
Now that the preseason is almost over, expect T.J. Watt to sign a contract extension shortly after the Carolina game that will make him the league’s highest-paid defensive player.
Aside from Dulac’s tweet, news about the progress of negotiations has been basically non-existent. In mid-June, Watt met with the media and indicated he “would not be talking” about his contract situation. Meanwhile, he has not yet practiced with his teammates at training camp, hoping to get a deal done before he returns to the field.
When he does return to action, he will attempt to equal a sack record held by the late, great Reggie White. Assuming Watt gets 13 or more sacks this season, he will become only the second player in NFL history to record 13+ sacks in four consecutive seasons, something that White accomplished on two separate occasions.
Baltimore’s J.K. Dobbins Suffered a Season-Ending Knee Injury
In other news from Saturday, second-year Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a torn ACL during Baltimore’s preseason finale at Washington. He was injured when he hyperextended his left knee after catching a screen pass from quarterback Lamar Jackson during the first quarter.
Dobbins, 22, was Baltimore’s second-round pick in 2020 (No. 55 overall) out of Ohio State. As a rookie, he rushed the ball 134 times for 805 yards and nine touchdowns. He also had 18 receptions for another 120 yards.
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Ja’Marr Chase … Still Can’t Catch
Meanwhile, Ja’Marr Chase—selected No. 5 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals—continues to have problems catching the ball.
On the first snap of Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw a bubble screen to Chase, and this was the result:
Ja’Marr Chase, ladies and gentleman.
Another drop.. t.co/nl0xfjFuqj
Last week, Chase dropped all three passes thrown his way during Cincinnati’s 17-13 preseason loss to Washington. He has also struggled to catch the ball in training camp, though he dusted former Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton in practice this past Thursday.
Ja’Marr Chase just beat Mike Hilton deep downfield for a 50+ yard touchdown. Joe Burrow threw a perfect deep ball and hit him in stride.
Burrow, who played with Chase at LSU, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
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TJ Watt the Last of 3 Steelers Named to NFL Top 100 List