FILE PHOTO – T.J. Watt (90) of the Pittsburgh Steelers gestures to the crowd against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium on Sept. 18, 2023, in Pittsburgh. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images/TNS)(TNS)—T.J. Watt wants to switch things up in 2025 — but not so much that he’s out of his element as one of the NFL’s top defenders.

Watt’s contract extension with the Steelers this summer made the ninth-year edge rusher the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, with an average salary of $41 million per year. But his 11 1/2 sacks last season were also the lowest amount he’s registered in a season when he played at least 15 games since his rookie year in 2017.

The 6-foot-4, 252-pound linebacker from Wisconsin registered two sacks in a Week 14 loss to the Eagles but didn’t record a single sack in the final three games of the regular season, as well as the Steelers’ playoff loss to the Ravens in the wild card round. Watt lined up almost exclusively all season as the team’s left outside linebacker over top of the right tackle, and that allowed offenses to craft strategies to minimize his impact on games late in the year.

As the highest-paid player on the team, Watt and the Steelers have worked at training camp to make it more difficult for offenses to do that in 2025 by moving his alignment around the defense to different presnap spots. During the first 10 practices of training camp at Saint Vincent College, Watt and Alex Highsmith have moved around more as the team’s starting outside linebackers.

“We’ve been doing it,” Watt said Wednesday morning about flipping sides with Highsmith. “It’s not something we do every single day. I think we’re picking days to work on it so we can work on it. I’d rather work on one side for that day just to get more reps as opposed as a rep here or there.”

Pro Football Focus charted Watt to have only taken 11 snaps as an edge rusher on the right side of the Steelers last year, which played a factor in how teams were able to plan for double- and triple-team blocks that included offensive tackles, guards, tight ends and running backs to slow down the four-time first-team All-Pro. The Steelers let Watt stay on that side so often out of familiarity, as that’s been the spot at which he’s lined up the most in his career. But he’s open to switching his alignment more often and even flipping sides entirely with Highsmith.

“It’s something that’s not as comfortable,” Watt said. “I’m working on getting it to be more comfortable. … Don’t rule that out.”

Watt will turn 31 years old on Oct. 11 and has won plenty of his 108 career sacks — a franchise high for the Steelers and 44th most in NFL history — by rushing off the left side of the defense with a quick burst to beat offensive tackles to their spot and get after the quarterback. That’s still something Watt and the Steelers plan to be a staple of their defense.

“I’d like to think the explosiveness will always be there,” Watt said. “Realistically, I don’t know if that’s the case. It still is right now, but it’s constantly about finding new ways to win. Evolve with the game. Like coach [Mike Tomlin] says, ‘Adapt or die.’ But at the end of the day, if you have a fastball that works, keep throwing that fastball.”

Watt’s fastball has led the NFL in sacks three times in his career, with 15 in 2020, tying Michael Strahan’s NFL record with 22 1/2 in 2021, then 19 in 2023. During practices, Watt does occasionally swap sides with Highsmith, but the change in the Steelers’ pass rush approach that’s seen more often has been in where the team sends its blitzes from compared to recent years.

Not only does Watt move around, but the Steelers’ starting inside linebackers, Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson, have also blitzed at a higher frequency throughout training camp. That’s a factor that will change the Steelers’ approach in 2025, as they blitzed on only 25.9% of defensive snaps last season, according to Pro Football Reference.

Watt sees that as an opportunity for both of the inside linebackers who joined the Steelers last season to not only get more involved in the pass rush but to also divert attention away from Watt and give him more chances to get one-on-one matchups so he can improve his own sack production.

“It’s huge when Payton’s playing fast and when PQ’s playing fast,” Watt said. “Both of them are in their second year in the system. Anytime you get those huggers coming as quickly as they are, it allows us to have those one-on-one pass-rush opportunities. It even allows for potential mixups where one of us is running free. The quicker those guys play, the better.”

Throughout training camp, Watt and the defense have dominated the Steelers’ new-look offense led by Aaron Rodgers. On Sunday, the offense had 14 attempts to score from the 2-yard line, and the defense stopped them on 12 of those attempts. But even with the success the defense has shown, Watt isn’t satisfied with where they are, as he doesn’t forget how the defense struggled late last season as opponents adjusted to their strengths.

“It’s too early to tell,” Watt said. “Everybody looks good this time of the year. Until we get into a stadium with another team and we allow offenses to make more adjustments to attack us differently and allow us to make more adjustments to see how many guys are willing to tackle, all of those things are still yet to be determined.”

Another new aspect to the Steelers defense has been the addition of Jalen Ramsey at cornerback. The three-time first-team All-Pro has lined up at both of the Steelers’ outside cornerback positions, as well as at slot cornerback. He’s also blitzed frequently and become an added body to the Steelers’ pass-rush plans.

“You never know where Jalen’s going to be and you never know what he’s going to do,” Watt said. “The better we disguise, the better that everyone eats. So I’m really looking forward to continuing to get better in our disguise in the back end and help them up front, as well.”

Watt has taken a few veteran rest days in camp at the behest of his position coaches — Karl Dunbar on the defensive line and Denzel Martin with the outside linebackers — as their way of keeping him fresh for the season.

“Taking care of us,” Watt said. “They make sure, even though we want to practice, that we take days off. Just being smart. More than anything, when you play for Karl Dunbar and Denzel Martin, you want to turn on the film and see physical football players using their hands, turning their hips, making sure those things are ready so that when it’s game time, we don’t have to warm up to it.”

While Watt still has to get more comfortable with lining up on the right side of the defense, the rest days are important for a veteran at his age who brings an intensity to his game.

“I think it’s a push and pull,” Watt said. “In 2021, I didn’t practice with the team at all and felt really good going into the season. As the years go on, I don’t practice as much, but it still feels good. It’s just a matter of getting that individual work, working on the right side.

“It’s just being more comfortable with the system,” Watt said, “not feeling like I have to be ready right now. Even though I feel great, it’s a slow ramp up and a slow build to the season. I don’t have to have my best days right now. I can continue to try new things and have fun with it.”

When Watt first entered the NFL in 2017, he kickstarted a five-year run of the Steelers defense leading the NFL in sacks. Those days came under former defensive coordinator Keith Butler, who had been promoted from linebackers coach and specialized in complex blitz concepts.

But since 2022, the Steelers have worked under Teryl Austin, who was promoted from defensive backs coach. Austin’s style of defensive play calling specializes more in complex coverage packages and more basic pass-rush schematics — the polar opposite of Butler’s.

Though the Steelers have ranked as a top-10 scoring defense in each of Austin’s seasons, it appears the Steelers’ plan to help Watt — and the entire defense — is to have Dunbar and Martin put in a more collaborative effort with Austin to intensify the pass-rush concepts. If that does happen, it could help put the Steelers back on top as the NFL’s leading sack producer — and even help Watt regain his status as a first-team All-Pro.

“My first couple of years, we were always at the top,” Watt said of the Steelers’ sack numbers. “I think we can definitely be better. At the end of the day, splash is always on our mind. We talk about splash each and every week — whether that’s sacks, [tackles for loss], tipped passes, picks. Anything we can do to affect the offense and deliver the ball in good field position for our offense, it’s something we’re always talking about.”