It’s the opposite of a secret that the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season. They drafted T.J. Watt in the following year’s draft, and they are 0-4 in the playoffs since adding the future Hall of Fame edge rusher.
Watt is more than aware of the stigma and stench on the franchise, and that it won’t go away until they win. But he also adds that the guys in the locker room want to end this drought more than anything and be one of those classic teams that adds hardware to the trophy case.
“I say all the time that there’s a big difference between guys that come back that are Super Bowl champions and guys that aren’t,” Watt said. “That’s not a slight at guys that aren’t/ I’m one of those guys right now. But there’s definitely an aura and a sense to a guy that has won a Super Bowl. There’s a togetherness. A close-knit group of guys that when they come back for those alumni weekends, they hang out and the bond and they talk about their successes on and off the field and the Super Bowl run. We want that. Every guy in here wants that. Don’t confuse any of this lack of success for lack of effort. Everybody’s trying. We’re turning over every stone that we possibly can to be great. We want to be great. We just need to do it together. That’s not saying that we haven’t, but we just need to do everything collectively and play complimentary football when the time matters most. There’s definitely a sense of urgency because this is the playoffs in the National Football League. This is what everybody plays the game for.”
Fans and players alike are eager for the playoff drought to end. And doing it against the Ravens would make it that much sweeter.