The Pittsburgh Steelers lost an impact linebacker in 2017 when Ryan Shazier suffered a spinal injury in December. The future of his playing career is in jeopardy, though he continues to devote himself to the goal of being able to return to the field.
But has another impact linebacker emerged in his stead? In his second season, edge defender T.J. Watt recorded six forced fumbles, the vast majority of them coming on strip sacks. Only two of them were recovered, if memory serves, so he only technically produced two turnovers, but he is creating the opportunity to get takeaways, something this unit badly needs.