Joe Flacco Calls Out Steelers Star for Dirty Hit

Joe Flacco wasn't too thrilled with a hit he took from Pittsburgh Steelers star EDGE rusher T.J. Watt last season.

Flacco is featured as part of the third season of Netflix's "Quarterback" series, and it captured him letting his feelings out on the Bengals' sideline after taking the blow from Watt, which drew a roughing the passer penalty, in the first half of a Week 11 matchup between the two teams at Acrisure Stadium last season.

"Man, he f***ed me up. He knew what he was doing, too. Oh, I think so, but he f***ed me up. It was on my left side, but man, the way he bent me up, this area right here, it just got extra f***ed up — my right pec. He was like, ‘I’ve got a chance to hit him here. I’m gonna take full advantage.

“It didn’t feel good,” Flacco added. “But that’s football. That’s the Steelers' defense.”

TJ Watt flagged for roughing the passer for tackling Joe Flacco pic.twitter.com/uV0hVRwgjW
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) November 16, 2025

Flacco Clarifies Comments

Tied for the most games against the Steelers of any quarterback in NFL history with 24, there's just about no one who understands what it's like to face the team's defense more than Flacco.

A long-time Baltimore Raven who has also spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Bengals, Flacco's tour around the AFC North has led him everywhere but Pittsburgh.

Though he had some rather pointed remarks in the immediate aftermath of the hit, Flacco stopped short of calling the Steelers dirty in an appearance on "Glenn Clark Radio" on July 14.

“I don’t think so. I actually enjoy that part of the game,” Flacco said. “I remember talking about [the hit from T.J. Watt last season], he probably knew I was banged up and that’s part of the game. When guys are hurt, it’s your job to exploit that.”

Dec 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) chases down Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Can Watt Return to Form in 2026?

A finalist for AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 with 11.5 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles, Watt took a major step back in the first season of a three-year, $123 million extension.

While the 31-year-old missed three games towards the end of the 2025 campaign due to a partially collapsed lung, his 7.0 sacks and 46 pressures (per Pro Football Focus) were still rather jarring drop-offs from his career norms in those categories.

Though Pittsburgh can get away with Watt's declining production due to the presence of Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith on the roster, his 12.4 percent pass-rush win rate from last year (according to PFF) must rise if the team's defense is going to reach its ceiling.

Perhaps Watt will bounce back in a new system under Patrick Graham, though there are some legitimate concerns that he'll ever return to his prior form moving forward.

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