T.J. Watt and his contract had been a huge question mark heading into the offseason, but on Thursday afternoon, all of those problems were finally answered. As the Steelers and Watt officially agreed to a 3-year $123 million contract extension, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rappaport. This is a well-deserved contract for the star edge rusher as he is now the league’s highest-paid non-QB. Here is what Watt did in 2024 and how the Steelers are projecting this contract moving forward.
TJ Watt’s Contract Moving Forward
The contract itself now fully guarantees Watt $108 million, along with the APY at $41 million, which topped the $40 million APY in the extension that Myles Garrett got earlier in the offseason with the Browns. Watt led the league with 73.5 sacks over the past five seasons, and has 108 sacks in his career up to this point, so the contract should’ve been worth what it was worth for the former Wisconsin Badger.
Watt will turn 31 in October, so his career is on the tail end as he is heading towards the end of his prime. It will be interesting to see if Watt can continue his elite play over the next few seasons of this deal. I think this will end up as a great deal for the Steelers only if they can overturn their fortunes at the quarterback position, because T.J. will be that consistent force that they need on the defensive side of the ball.
Final Thoughts
The Steelers and T.J. with this contract now probably make him that Steeler for life, which is what both parties wanted in this scenario. The Steelers will have him now in Camp after the veteran edge rushers skipped all of minicamp, including mandatory camp back in June, which is a great sign for a defense that has gotten a few new pieces, including Jalen Ramsey. Total Apex Sports is the place to be for more NFL stories like this one and will have more throughout the 2025 season.
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