T.J. Watt ended his contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers by agreeing to a record-setting extension Thursday, one which ties him to the organization for three more years at a cost of $123 million.
The deal includes $108 million in fully guaranteed money and averages $41 million per season, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. It's now the second time in his career he's achieved that financial feat.
We'll take a look at the top 10 highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the NFL, in terms of average annual value, following Watt's historic extension in Pittsburgh.
Player | Team | Contract Length | Contract Value | Average Annual Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
T.J. Watt | Pittsburgh Steelers | Three Years | $123 million | $41 million |
Ja'Marr Chase | Cincinnati Bengals | Four Years | $161 million | $40.25 million |
Myles Garrett | Cleveland Browns | Four Years | $160 million | $40 million |
Danielle Hunter | Houston Texans | One Year | $36.5 million | $36.5 million |
Maxx Crosby | Las Vegas Raiders | Three Years | $106.5 million | $35.5 million |
Justin Jefferson | Minnesota Vikings | Four Years | $140 million | $35 million |
CeeDee Lamb | Dallas Cowboys | Four Years | $136 million | $34 million |
Nick Bosa | San Francisco 49ers | Five Years | $170 million | $34 million |
DK Metcalf | Pittsburgh Steelers | Four Years | $132 million | $33 million |
Garrett Wilson | New York Jets | Four Years | $130 million | $32.5 million |
Watt gets the edge over Ja'Marr Chase, who re-upped with the Bengals this offseason on a deal with an average annual value of $40 million.
Watt's deal comes in the wake of the Jets getting a couple of key deals done, making Garrett Wilson the 10th highest-paid non-QB in the league with a four-year, $130 million deal and rewarding Sauce Gardner as the top earning cornerback in the league with a four-year, $120.2 million extension.
Of course, in terms of the NFL's highest earning players, quarterbacks dominate the list, with Cowboys star Dak Prescott leading the charge with an average annual value of $60 million on his deal.
Watt is now tied to the Steelers for a few seasons longer, and he'll be competing to win his second Defensive Player of the Year, an award he's been in the mix for virtually every year since 2019.