As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday, T.J. Watt will receive $108 million fully guaranteed upon signing the deal.
The agreement was finalized just days before Steelers players are set to report to training camp on July 23. Watt opted out of both voluntary and mandatory minicamps this past spring while the two parties negotiated the new contract. He appeared to verify the agreement on Instagram as the news was announced.
At 30 years old, Watt has spent his entire eight-year NFL career with the Steelers, who drafted him in the first round as the No. 30 overall pick in the 2017 draft. Pittsburgh has certainly reaped the rewards of its investment in Watt.
He began his rookie season with seven sacks and has made the Pro Bowl each of the seven seasons since then. A five-time All-Pro, he has received four first-team selections. In 2021, he was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year and has finished in the top four in voting for the award five times.
Watt has led the league in sacks on three occasions, including a personal best of 22.5 in 2021, which ties him with Michael Strahan for the most sacks recorded in a single NFL season. His overall career sack total stands at 108, averaging 13.5 per season.
Additionally, Watt has recorded 225 career quarterback hits, 7 interceptions, 49 passes defended, 12 fumble recoveries, and 33 forced fumbles, leading the league in forced fumbles twice.
Is T.J. Watt capable of maintaining his performance at an All-Pro standard?
As he approaches his age-31 season, Watt continues to be one of the most impactful players in football. In 2024, he tallied 11.5 sacks, 27 quarterback hits, and led the NFL with six forced fumbles.
Watt is also recognized as one of the most resilient defenders in the sport. Despite suffering a pectoral tear in Week 1 of the 2022 season following his Defensive Player of the Year recognition, he still managed to participate in 10 games that year and earn Pro Bowl accolades. In all of Watt’s other seven seasons, he has played in at least 15 games.
He signs this extension while still in the fifth season of his prior five-year, $112 million extension linked to his rookie contract, raising expectations for other defenders awaiting new agreements, such as Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys and Trey Hendrickson from the Cincinnati Bengals.