J.J. Watt Gives Steelers Bad News About T.J. Watt Deal

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have kicked the can a little too far down the road when it comes to extending star outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who is entering the final year of his contract.

At least that's the stance held by his brother J.J., a future Pro Football Hall of Famer and prolific pass rusher in his own right.

During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Thursday, he stated his belief that the Steelers would've received a hometown discount if they had handed T.J. a new deal last year and should now feel added pressure to get one done considering the sheer number of edge rushers who could further reset the market this offseason.

“The earlier you get the deal done, the better deal you get. That’s just a fact,” Watt said. “That’s why, my personal belief, they should have done it last year because I think there was a hometown discount to be had last year. But now the longer you wait this year, you’ve got Micah [Parsons] coming up. Like you said, you got Aidan Hutchinson, you got Myles [Garrett]. These guys are getting new deals. That number’s gonna inch closer to four in front of than threes. So you’re gonna want to get that done earlier rather than later because the price isn’t going down.”

"Congratulations to Maxx Crosby he absolutely deserves that deal..

The earlier you can get a deal done the better it is for everybody" ~ @JJWatt #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/IAaJiKDrID
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 6, 2025

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby raised the bar upon agreeing to a three-year, $106.5 million extension on Wednesday that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with an average annual value of $35.5 million.

Though Watt's 30-years-old and wasn't quite as productive in 2024 as he had been in previous seasons, recording 11.5 sacks and 57 pressures according to Pro Football Focus, he remains one of the league's best pass rushers and will be reimbursed as such.

There's about a zero percent chance the Steelers would ever let a franchise legend and leader like him leave, even if they have to go beyond their means to extend him.

Watt was once the most well-compensated defender in league history after signing a four-year, $112 million contract in 2021, and it's going to take a similar type of feat for Pittsburgh to keep him around long-term.

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