J.J. Watt knows a thing or two about pass rushers who can create havoc off the edge.
So when Watt says a former great should be a Hall of Famer but isn’t, his opinion is worth listening to.
On “The Pat McAfee Show” Wednesday, Watt was discussing Pittsburgh’s pass-rushing combination of his brother, T.J., and Alex Highsmith. Watt compared them to the Indianapolis Colts’ onetime dynamic duo of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.
Watt went on to say that he loved watching film of Freeney and Mathis and that history has “underrated” how good the two of them were together. He then advocated for Freeney’s Hall of Fame case.
“I believe, somehow, Dwight Freeney is not in the Hall of Fame. That’s mind blowing,” Watt said.
“The TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith combo is a little similar to Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis..
It’s mind blowing that Dwight Freeney isn’t in the Hall of Fame” ~ @JJWatt #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/7tYzmHO4l2
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 20, 2023
Freeney, who retired following the 2017 season, did not make the Hall of Fame this year in his first time on the ballot. He should get in eventually, as Watt is not kidding about the Syracuse alum having been a menace in his prime
When Freeney hung up his cleats, he did so with 125.5 career sacks to his name, including seven seasons with 10 or more sacks.
A seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro, Freeney is also a member of the Hall of Fame’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s.