SI

J.J. Watt Used Just Three Words to Describe T.J. Watt's Mammoth Deal With Steelers

That's all he needed.

Brigid Kennedy

Watt has racked up 73.5 sacks over the last five seasons, the most of any player within that span.
Watt has racked up 73.5 sacks over the last five seasons, the most of any player within that span. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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The Pittsburgh Steelers and star edge-rusher T.J. Watt finally reached an agreement on a contract extension on Thursday afternoon, following months of speculation over the status of the negotiations and Watt's future in the 412.

The new deal is worth a purported $123 million across three years, which would make Watt the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Indeed, the tally surpasses that of both Browns lineman Myles Garrett and Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase, each of whom reset the non-QB market earlier this offseason.

Watt himself celebrated the new deal with a caption-less post on Instagram—a picture is worth a thousand words, after all—but his brother, former NFL star J.J. Watt, didn't need nearly that many to toast to the achievement.

Instead, the eldest Watt brother acknowledged the monumental extension with just three words: "Earned. Deserved. Incredible," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), shortly after news broke.

As J.J. alluded, the 30-year-old T.J. really is one of the few bright spots amid the Steelers' ongoing crisis of mediocrity. The former DPOY led the league in sacks in 2020, 2021 and 2023, and has been elected to seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams across his eight-year career. Last season, he finished with 11.5 sacks (tied for 8th-most) and a league-leading six forced fumbles.

Also on Thursday, J.J. soon after followed up his initial missive with a funny tongue-in-cheek post regarding the difference in earnings between himself and his bro:

The man's got a point.

The youngest Watt will now enter the final year of his current contract—and his ninth year in Black and Gold—in the fall.

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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.

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