On one of his 21 snaps on special teams Sunday, Derek Watt crunched Denver Broncos punter Sam Martin, forcing a fumble that rolled out the back of the end zone for a safety.

On one of his six snaps as a fullback, Watt’s block helped spring James Conner for a 59-yard run that enabled the Steelers to run out the clock on a 26-21 victory.

Which play brought more satisfaction to the middle child and least decorated member of the Watt brotherhood?

“Shoot, man, they’re both exciting,” Watt said Friday. “Any time you get to be on the field for a big play, it’s special. And with the running backs we have in our room, there’s always big-play capability, so you never know which play it’s going to be. Obviously, to close out a game like that the way we did was special, and the safety ended up being a huge play in the game, but it wasn’t anything extra spectacular I did. Everybody did their job, and it worked out great for us.”

Although Watt is a core special teams player, he has had minimal work in the backfield blocking for Conner or backup Benny Snell through two games. Watt has played just 14 snaps total, which amounts to 11% of all offensive plays.

Perhaps that will change Sunday when older brother J.J. and the Houston Texans visit Heinz Field for a 1 p.m. kickoff. A three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, J.J. Watt has made a lucrative living pursuing the quarterback. Having Derek on the field might not serve Ben Roethlisberger, but it would at least provide more running room for Conner.

Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said Derek Watt hasn’t been shy about asking for more playing time.

“He’s been in my ear since the day he got here,” Fichtner said. “I love it. He’s a football player first. You see that evident in what he brings to the special teams, and you’re going to continue to see it offensively with us.”

When the Steelers signed Watt to a three-year, $9.75 million contract, it included a $3.25 million signing bonus and salaries that rise from $1 million this year to $2.75 million in 2022. That’s a hefty sum to pay someone who primarily plays on special teams.

Much of Watt’s activity on offense has come at the end of games when the Steelers have run their “four-minute” offense while trying to protect leads.

“We don’t use the fullback to the same degree week in and week out,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “There could be several weeks where there could be a minimal role, and there could be a several-week stretch where it could be a significant role. We didn’t keep any secrets in that regard. I think that is the nature of everybody’s global use of the position in today’s game.”

When the Steelers finished with the No. 29 rushing offense last season, they had fullback Roosevelt Nix available for just three games. When Nix was healthy in 2017 and made the Pro Bowl, he was involved in 16% of the offensive snaps, playing as many as 22 a game and as few as four.

“I think as we are still finding our footing with this group of 2020 Steelers, minus the offseason, I really believe you will see more of Derek,” Fichtner said. “I think he’s warranted it.”

Watt’s usage through two weeks with the Steelers is in line with the playing time he received in four seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. Watt averaged about 8.5 snaps on offense while playing in all 64 games. He was a Pro Bowl alternate last year with the Chargers when he played a career-low 122 snaps — an average of 7.6 per game — while blocking for Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler. Gordon made the Pro Bowl in two of the seasons he had Watt as his blocker.

“You know his resume throughout the league and (just from) playing against him throughout the league,” tight end Eric Ebron said. “Derek is a hard worker. When he comes into the game, we’re trying to find ways to utilize him more because it is complex when he comes into the game. The more we can continue to throw those curveballs at a defense, the more it benefits our offense.”

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