T.J. Watt’s Pro Bowl ends in injury as the NFL selects Devin Lloyd in his place

T.J. Watt’s season did not end the way anyone in Pittsburgh expected. Just days before the Pro Bowl Game, the Steelers’ defensive leader found himself ruled out with an injury that forced the league into a late change.

Watt had earned his ninth Pro Bowl selection after another strong campaign. Still, instead of heading to Orlando, he is now watching from the sidelines as Jacksonville linebacker Devin Lloyd steps into the spotlight.

NFL replaces T.J. Watt with Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd

On Jan 22, 2026, local Jacksonville radio station 1010 XL confirmed on X that Devin Lloyd had been named as Watt’s replacement for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games.

“BREAKING: The Jaguars have been awarded another Pro Bowler! Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd has been named to the 2026 Pro Bowl Games in replacement of injured Steelers LB T.J. Watt,” the station posted.


The NFL later confirmed the move, citing Watt’s injury as the reason for his withdrawal. While the Steelers have not released detailed medical specifics, team sources said Watt is not medically cleared to participate in any football activity.

Watt’s absence closes the book on what had been another productive year for the 30-year-old. During the 2025 regular season, he recorded 7 sacks, 23 solo tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions, numbers that once again placed him among the league’s most impactful edge rushers.

For Lloyd, the call came as a reward for his best season since entering the league. The former first-round pick started 15 games for Jacksonville in 2025 and finished with 81 total tackles, six tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, and multiple game-changing plays in coverage.

His biggest moment came in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs, when he returned a Patrick Mahomes interception 99 yards for a touchdown in the Jaguars’ 31-28 win. Lloyd was also named second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press, becoming just the second linebacker in the last two decades to record at least 10 quarterback hits and five interceptions in a single season.

Jaguars general manager James Gladstone spoke about Lloyd’s growth during a media interaction at the team’s end-of-season press conference on Jan. 8.

“What he meant to our end result was certainly notable,” Gladstone said. “The way he worked every week, the way he connected with the staff, it showed up on Sundays.”

Lloyd now joins long snapper Ross Matiscik as the second Jaguars player selected for the Pro Bowl Games this year. For Pittsburgh, Watt’s injury adds to a difficult offseason. Earlier in 2025, Watt signed a three-year, $123 million extension, and during an appearance on the "Steelers Now" podcast in July 2025, he admitted his future was closely tied to head coach Mike Tomlin.

“I don’t want to play for anyone other than Mike T,” Watt said on the show.

With Watt sidelined and uncertainty around the Steelers’ direction, the moment belongs to Lloyd. His Pro Bowl selection does more than fill a vacancy. It confirms his arrival as one of the AFC’s most complete linebackers.




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