The Pittsburgh Steelers have finally managed to resolve their payment issues with their premier pass rusher, T.J. Watt. The 31-year-old, four-time All-Pro linebacker is once again the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history and is set to remain in Pittsburgh for the next three seasons.
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Now averaging a benchmark salary of $41 million, Watt’s total contract is valued at a grand total of $123 million. Seeing as the deal includes $108 million in guarantees, Watt’s extension is nearly just as valuable as his older brother’s entire career.
Despite having put together a Hall of Fame-caliber career that includes 12 seasons in the league, the former Houston Texan might be having Thanksgiving dinner at T.J.’s this year.
Sometimes being the younger brother pays off 😅@JJWatt @_TJWatt pic.twitter.com/8O63CO0Q96
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) July 17, 2025
Whether it’s his older brother or his contemporaries in Ja’Marr Chase and Myles Garrett, Watt currently has some bragging rights over each and every NFL athlete. He’s managed to become the highest-paid non-QB not once, but twice now, and this time, he’s completely shifted the market.
The aforementioned star wide receiver of the Cincinnati Bengals will be netting a $40.25-million salary throughout the next four years, with Watt’s division rival in Garrett, trailing just behind him at an even $40-million rate. Suffice to say, Watt’s contract just inflated the potential value of future deals that much more.
10 years ago, in 2015, the Miami Dolphins made another pass rusher by the name of Ndamukong Suh the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history by signing him to a six-year, $114-million contract that featured $60 million in guarantees. In today’s league, Suh’s deal wouldn’t even crack the top 10.
The average salary for a top-10 paid, non-QB is currently a little bit more than $36,000,000, and every deal is worth at least nine figures. Simply put, guys are getting paid like never before, much to the chagrin of the league and its owners.
Nevertheless, several members of Pittsburgh’s roster, including the team’s veteran captain, Cam Heyward, were voicing their support of Watt from the beginning. Even after trade rumors began to percolate amidst discussions of a future holdout, the sentiment of Watt being a ‘must-sign’ guy never faltered.
The Steelers had also long tipped their hand to the fact that they would be going all in on the upcoming season with the pursuit of Aaron Rodgers. In the end, they presented Watt with all of the leverage that he needed in order to reach his second benchmark deal.
For all the drama that their negotiations caused throughout this offseason, it now seems as if it was always inevitable that Watt and the Steelers would find a way to bring pen to paper prior to the start of training camps. Their final piece is signed, and they can finally come together to prepare for the season right when it matters most.
The contract may not have been signed on time, but the Steelers are still right on schedule as they hope to capture their first playoff win since the 2016 postseason.
