The Pittsburgh Steelers and T.J. Watt have agreed to a new three-year, $123 million extension with $108 million guaranteed that will keep the star pass rusher with the Steelers through the 2028 season.
That is a $41 million per year figure, and does not include his 2025 salary. Given a three-year extension, his 2025 cap hit should stay stable, with plenty of guaranteed money flush into the first year of the deal.
Overall, the contract pays Watt $144.05 million over four seasons. That $41 million per year exceeds the Myles Garrett contract. Overall, Watt received one less year on his extension than Garrett, but he received more guaranteed money and more money per year.
Watt, 30, had 11.5 sacks a season ago and dealt with multiple injuries that cooled him off down the stretch. Before the injuries, Watt was the odds-on favorite to win the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Award, which would have been his second in a storied career.
Drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Watt tied the single-season sack record in 2021 with 22.5 sacks. Over his Steelers career, he has accumulated 108 career sacks, surpassing the team’s previous record. Now, this contract makes it likely Watt will retire a Steeler, something that the superstar notably wanted to do at the end of the season.
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