T.J. Watt Had Sad Answer to Question About Steelers' Postseason Failures

Yet another early playoff exit for Mike Tomlin's team.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and linebacker T.J. Watt suffered yet another early playoff exit. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers, for yet another year, fought very hard to secure one of the last spots in the playoffs only to bow out immediately. Monday night's 30-6 loss to the visiting Houston Texans was the franchise's seventh straight postseason defeat—a streak that has taken a lot of shine off Mike Tomlin's 19-year stretch of finishing at .500 or above. Pittsburgh was clearly overmatched and incapable of doing anything at all with a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers under center but managed to hang around in a one-point game until the fourth quarter before the wheels really fell off.

T.J. Watt, the face of the Steelers defense who played through a painful collapsed lung down the stretch, was asked to reflect on what has become a bit of a Groundhog Day-type situation in the Steel City.

"I haven't had the answer for a long time, so don't ask me," Watt said when quizzed about what needs to change in future postseasons.

T.J. Watt on what needs to change about this team to have success in the postseason:

"I haven't had the answer for a long time, so don't ask me."

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 13, 2026

That's not what anyone wants to hear.

Especially when one of the immediate answers seems to be a growing movement to bring Rodgers back for yet another season despite posting six points in a home playoff game.

Much speculation will be had on the topic of Tomlin returning next season. It's hard to believe the franchise, which has valued stability and continuity, would actually decide to move on from someone who has established the highest floor in the history of football. But losing the first playoff game does have a way of erasing everything accomplished in the regular season.

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