Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt’s dietary habits have gained attention following the team’s season-opening win over the New York Jets. In a recent interview with host Graham Bensinger, Watt discussed changes in his eating routine, moving away from the high-calorie intake that had once drawn comparisons to Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.
Watt previously consumed up to 7,000 or 8,000 calories daily but now takes a different approach to nutrition. When asked by Bensinger if he still follows such a high-calorie diet, Watt responded: “I mean at one point probably yes but not anymore. I don’t count my calories, I don’t count marcos, micros, any of that stuff anymore, I just kinda go off of feel.” He described his meals as more structured now: “Yeah like today just before you guys got here I ate four eggs, five chicken sausage, a cup and a half of oatmeal, and like some fruit (…) And then for lunch after this, I’ll probably have like two and a half chicken breasts with a cup and a half of rice…With some broccoli or somethin’ (…)” Watt said he often eats ground beef, noodles, rice and other carbohydrates for dinner and explained: “I used to eat every two like hours…I need to eat, I need to eat, I need to it, now I’ll just kinda actually do it more formatted with breakfast lunch and dinner with one snack.”
The discussion came after the Steelers’ victory against the Jets where quarterback Aaron Rodgers led Pittsburgh with 22-of-30 passing for 244 yards and four touchdowns. While Watt recorded three tackles in the game without a sack—remaining tied with Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Michael Strahan for the league’s single-season sack record—his role remains significant.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin characterized the win as both enjoyable and demanding during his postgame comments. “Man, wow, that was fun and challenging at the same time, man, the NFL season is back,” Tomlin said. He credited both coaching staffs: “I thought the coaches did a real good job of communication, the players did a real good job of communicating and adjusting (…) We made about one or two more plays than they did and sometimes these games are decided by that,” Tomlin added.
Looking ahead, Pittsburgh is scheduled to face the Seattle Seahawks next week at home.
