T.J. Watt is entering the final season of his contract, but he will reportedly likely have a new one before the start of the 2025 campaign.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday the star linebacker and Pittsburgh Steelers “have been discussing a new contract … with the expectation they will come to some agreement” prior to the start of the regular season.
While the Wisconsin product became the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history when he signed his five-year, $112 million deal in 2021, Dulac noted “two developments in the offseason have likely upped his asking price.”
One of those developments happened within his own team, as the Steelers gave wide receiver DK Metcalf a five-year, $150 million deal after trading for him. That deal featured $60 million in guarantees and was the largest one in franchise history.
The other development happened with a division rival, as the Cleveland Browns and Myles Garrett agreed to a four-year, $160 million extension with $124 million in guarantees. Suddenly, one of Watt’s pass-rushing peers was making more than him, which will surely come up in negotiations.
Dulac cautioned that Watt’s age (31 in October) will likely impact what the Steelers are willing to offer, but it is impossible to argue with the production.
Watt’s resume includes a Defensive Player of the Year, four First-Team All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl nods. He has more than lived up to expectations since Pittsburgh selected him in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft and is a franchise cornerstone.
He led the league in sacks on three different occasions, including when he posted 19 in 2023, and is widely considered one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL. Even when his sack total decreased in 2024 to 11.5, he led the league with six forced fumbles and finished in the top five of the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
While it may be unrealistic to expect Watt to challenge for 20 sacks a season moving forward at this point of his career, he was still effective last season and figures to remain a defensive stalwart in the coming years.
And the Steelers reportedly plan on giving him a contract that will keep him with the only NFL team he has ever known to make sure that production comes in their uniform.
