NFL: 5 possible cover athletes for the new Backyard Football game
By Asher Fair
T.J. Watt, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
On any given play with the Black and Gold on defense, T.J. Watt is probably the best football player on the field, and that has been the case pretty much ever since he made his debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, after the Green Bay Packers infamously passed on the Wisconsin star pass rusher.
The four-time Defensive Player of the Year finalist and 2021 award winner probably should have won the award again in 2023. A nice consolation prize would be inclusion in the new Backyard Football game, and an even better consolation prize would be serving as the cover athlete.
In 2021, Watt tied the single-season record broken by Michael Strahan, another former Backyard Football star, in 2001, by recording 22.5 sacks, despite missing two games.
Speaking of missing two games, the Steelers’ 1-11 record without Watt, during a seven-year stretch in which they have not had a losing season and qualified for the playoffs on four occasions, speaks for itself.
Those who played Backyard Football 2006, specifically, know the value of a strong defensive end. While Watt is still officially listed as a linebacker, there is no doubt who would be pretty much anybody’s first pick to line up on the edge in the new game.
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