Steelers Sign T.J. Watt to Blockbuster Extension, Make Him Highest-Paid Non-QB

Pittsburgh reportedly got a deal done Thursday afternoon.

T.J. Watt warms up before the Steelers' game against the Eagles in 2024. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

After an offseason of discontent, the Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly have their man.

The Steelers are signing linebacker T.J. Watt to a three-year extension worth $123 million, according to a Thursday afternoon report from Adam Schefter of ESPN. The deal, if confirmed, would make Watt the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

That's a salary mark that has been reset twice this offseason, as Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase received similarly lucrative extensions on March 9 and 18, respectively.

Watt, 30, is entering the final year of his current contract.

Since being drafted 30th in 2017, he has been one of the NFL's most effective defensive players. He led the league in sacks in 2020, 2021 and 2023, making seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams. Even in 2024—when he ended the season in a much-discussed funk—he still led the league with six forced fumbles.

Pittsburgh is scheduled to open its season—and a new chapter for Watt—on Sept. 7 against the New York Jets.

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