The Pittsburgh Steelers are potentially entering a showdown with former AP Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt over contract negotiations. The Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett recently received an extension from the Browns, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Garrett's four-year extension will have an average of $40 million per year with a guarantee of $123 million. Unfortunately for the Steelers, Garrett's contract has reset the market for the top-tier edge rushers, so Watt will want his extension to be similar. However, the Steelers put themselves in this situation of Watt now potentially demanding $40 million or more per year.
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Steelers' TJ Watt dances with the football after getting a big turnover against the Browns.
In his eight seasons in the NFL, TJ Watt has piled up the accomplishments by winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021, being named First-Team All-Pro four times, and being elected to seven Pro Bowls. T.J. Watt is one of four players to eclipse 100 sacks in their first eight seasons, and Garrett is also one of those four.
Watt and Garrett have had similar accomplishments since entering the NFL; both have won the Defensive Player of the Year award, and both have four First-Team All-Pro selections. Both Watt and Garrett can change the momentum of a game with one play. So, anyone could assume whoever signed their extension first of the two, the other would likely match or top the per-year salary. In this case, it was Garrett, but the Steelers seem reluctant to pay T.J. Watt 40-plus million per year.
ESPN NFL reporter Brooke Pryor believes the Steelers have lost sight of how much it costs to compete in the NFL.
"The Steelers are entering a time where they have to realize what it costs to play in the NFL in 2025," Pryor said. "The first clear evidence of that is the Justin Fields deal that he got with the Jets. Yes, it at first sounds like a lot of money, and I forget what the exact numbers were at this point, but he is the lowest-paid starting quarterback who is not on a rookie contract, and the Steelers weren't willing to offer him that contract."
Pryor continued to discuss Pittsburgh's frugal nature by going into a little more detail about Watt. Fans will get a real idea of how cheap the organization may be depending on the outcome.
"That says that someone in that building who is controlling the checkbook doesn't understand that this is the amount of money you have to pay players to compete in 2025, and I think the next measuring stick for that is going to be the TJ Watt deal," Pryor said.
Justin Fields signed a two-year deal with the New York Jets for $40 million, which is an average of $20 million per year. Typically, the Steelers are more likely to give favorable deals to players within the organization, but this seems to be changing. In the last two seasons, the Steelers have given out large contracts to two free agents who were not previously on the roster.
In 2024, the Steelers gave Patrick Queen a three-year, $41 million contract, and in 2025, the team gave DK Metcalf a staggering four-year, $132 million contract. Metcalf's deal is the largest offensive contract in Steelers history.
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DK Metcalf walks off the field after a home game with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Watt deal could have already been done, and the Steelers could have avoided spending 40-plus million per year. JJ Watt, the older brother of TJ, during the 2024 season, would constantly remind the Steelers that the longer they waited to negotiate an extension, the more expensive it would become. If the Steelers had negotiated with TJ Watt last season, they probably would have been able to get closer to the number they are more comfortable with rather than where they are now.
Steelers' Defense Has Been An Absolute Lifeline
In 2024, the Steelers had the highest-paid defense in the NFL, with $127 million in contracts just on the defensive side of the ball. The Steelers' defensive contracts made up 51 percent of the team's salary cap in 2024. Rightfully so, the defense has been the heart of the Steelers the past few years.
It would be a mistake for the Steelers not to pay a generational talent like TJ Watt. Edge rushers are one of the most important positions to a defense's success because if you cannot get pressure on the opposing quarterback, it will be a long day for the secondary.
Steelers.com
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense celebrates after a turnover during a regular-season game.
The prices of superstar contracts all across the NFL are rising, and if you have one on your team, then you pay him. The Steelers had a chance to get TJ Watt at a lower expense last season, but wanted to wait out the season to negotiate an extension. Well, now, it could potentially cost Pittsburgh north of $40 million per year to retain the legendary edge rusher.
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