Report: T.J. Watt, Steelers Reach $112M Contract; Is NFL’s Top-Paid Defender

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T.J. Watt will remain a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the foreseeable future.

On Thursday, Pittsburgh signed the linebacker to a four-year, $112 million contract extension with $80 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, ending a holdout without him missing any games. 

Watt has been excellent for Pittsburgh since the team drafted him 30th overall out of Wisconsin in 2017.

In his first three seasons in the league, the youngest of the Watt brothers tallied 125 solo tackles, 34.5 sacks, 15 forced fumbles and three interceptions combined. He started all 16 games in 2018 and 2019 become an anchor of the Steelers defense.

On April 28, 2020, Pittsburgh picked up the fifth-year option on Watt’s contract, ensuring he’d play out the rest of his rookie deal with the team that spent a first-round pick on him.

Watt entered the league on a four-year, $9.25 million contract, and his fifth-year option is for $10.08 million. That’s a cap hit the Steelers were eager to take on. 

The linebacker would’ve become a free agent in 2022 had he not signed his extension. Now he’s the highest-paid defensive player in the league. 

Watt has plenty of reasons to want to stay in Pittsburgh. Not only did the team finish 12-4 last season, but it also brought in his older brother, Derek, to play fullback last season. The Steelers gave him a three-year, $9.75 million contract after he spent his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. 

The Steelers continue to go all-in on the family, and locking up their star linebacker long term was always a necessity. 

Now they don’t have to worry about him going anywhere for the next five years.