Does it really matter who won the most recent Defensive Player of the Year Award?

It didn’t used to matter, not to anyone besides the defensive players up for the honor. But we live in different times where social media makes fans care about things they never used to give much thought to.

For example, the Comeback Player of the Year Award. Nobody ever cared about that thing. It was the red-headed stepchild of awards. It was the Diet Coke of honors: Just one calorie, not noteworthy enough.

Anyway, why did Joe Flacco win the Comeback Player of the Year in 2023? This still irks me.

As for the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, let’s compare the stats of Myles Garrett, the Browns dangerous edge rusher, and T.J. Watt, the Steelers prolific outside linebacker/edge rusher and a man who won the award in 2021.

Actually, let’s not compare the 2023 stats. I’m sick of comparing those stats. Garrett won the DPOY over Watt, who registered 19 quarterback sacks, a number way higher than the 14 Garrett tallied. Hey, I guess I did compare at least one stat, but I’m not comparing more of them. I’m not digging deeper. I’m not breaking out the metrics. I’m not signing up for Pro Football Focus (currently known as PFF).

All you need to know about Garrett winning the award is that Browns fans celebrated way too much and Steelers fans mourned way too much. In fact, both fanbases are still celebrating and mourning a little too much over an award that nobody will ever touch, outside of Garrett, his friends/family and maybe some fan who may win it in an auction one day. (Anything’s possible.)

If you’re Watt, I can see why you’d still be a little angry over not winning it, but that’s your business. If you’re Garrett, I can see why you’d be a little offended that Watt was/is angry over you winning the award over him. Who does Watt think he is? How entitled is he? How dare he show up to the awards ceremony in Las Vegas last winter and then storm out after word leaked that he wouldn’t be winning the DPOY award for a second time? Talk about a slap in the face to Garrett, who knows a thing or two about such things considering his use of a helmet to slap Mason Rudolph in the head several years ago. What was Watt implying when he boycotted the awards ceremony, that he was a better player than Garrett?

Both Watt’s and Garrett’s wounds were picked open last week in the days leading up to the Steelers’ clash against the Browns at Huntington Bank Field on Thursday Night Football. Garrett said he was kind of offended that Watt stormed out of the ceremony, while Watt retorted with something like, “Yeah, I did that.” Garrett then suggested that Watt owed him an apology.

I thought the apology thing was pretty funny. I mean, Garrett had to know Watt wouldn’t apologize, right? It’s like when I ask some low-IQ troll on Twitter (currently known as X) to apologize for calling me bald and/or ugly. I know they’re not going to apologize, but there is also a pretty decent chance they’ll be triggered even more by me suggesting that they do.

So how did Watt and Garrett perform individually in last Thursday’s game? Watt was pretty pedestrian. In fact, you might say he owed Steelers fans an apology for his disappearing act. As for Garrett, he recorded three sacks and a forced fumble, as Cleveland won by a score of 24-19.

Thursday’s performance was nothing new for Watt, at least as of late. He’s only recorded one sack in the three games since the bye and three over the past six games. Yes, he has 7.5 on the season, but he’d really have to go nuts over the final six weeks to even approach the 19 sacks he had in 2023.

Ironically enough, despite one of the quietest non-injury years of his career, Watt is the current betting favorite to win the 2024 DPOY. What can we glean from such a thing, other than it’s pointless to care about an award that humans vote on?

If Watt wins the award this year, will Dexter Lawrence get offended? Will Watt get offended that Lawrence is offended?

Back to Thursday’s game and Garrett’s performance. You might say he got the last laugh. Then again, Watt has a chance to get the last laugh in the rematch at Acrisure Stadium on December 8.

Then again, Watt may yet get the final laugh if and when he wins his second Defensive Player of the Year Award after the season.

I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather see T.J. Watt win a Super Bowl or at least a playoff game. No, I don’t get the prize money for a playoff win and, just like the DPOY trophy, I will never get to touch a Lombardi. However, I haven’t celebrated a postseason victory since Watt became a Steeler in 2017 and soon entered the annual DPOY chat.

That’s the most laughable thing of all.