After a weekend's worth of talk, cleaning up some leftovers from T.J. Watt's new contract

After a weekend’s worth of discussion, analysis and social media chatter surrounding T.J. Watt’s new contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, let’s address some of the bigger talking points.

And let’s advance some different topics that should be investigated a little bit more.

• After T.J. Watt signed his new $123 million contract, his older brother, J.J., posted, “I swear, if this guy even lets me begin to reach for my wallet at dinner…”

I swear, if this guy even lets me begin to reach for my wallet at dinner… https://t.co/R52TsWBgYP

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 17, 2025

There is truth in the joke. T.J. should probably kick J.J. a few bucks as a thank you for putting heat on the Steelers when he went on the “Pat McAfee Show” in May.

“Taking care of your guys earlier does a few things for you. No. 1, it gets them locked in at a lower price. In the long run,” J.J. Watt said on May 28. “No. 2, you are keeping them happy.

“If you take care of things early, especially if players want to take care of things earlier … do that.”

"Ownership and front offices obviously treat this like a business but they don't like it when the players treat it like a business..

If you can take care of your guys earlier you should do that" ~ @JJWatt #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/pNRqMauTWu

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 28, 2025

As it turns out, the Steelers should’ve done exactly that. Because if it was a fait accompli that the Steelers were going to sign Watt anyway (as evidenced by how much money they just forked over), the organization should’ve done so in late February or early March before Maxx Crosby reset the edge-rusher market with a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension March 5 ($91.5 million guaranteed/$35.5 million AAV). Or when Myles Garrett blew the top off three days later with $160 million over four years.

I don’t think Watt would’ve demanded $41 million per year on his own if Garrett didn’t get $40 million first. But if the Steelers already knew that they were prepared to go that high, they should’ve subscribed to J.J. Watt’s theory and given in to what Watt asked for in the early stages of the offseason.

Furthermore, a lot of the push back and acrimony from the fans we’ve seen since Thursday over how much money Watt got, and the fact that they let the Browns set the market for what the Steelers ended up paying, could’ve been avoided.

• Watt’s contract value is a healthy debate. I’m happy to engage in it.

What I can’t stand, though, is when people say, “T.J. deserves every penny! Look at the team’s record (1-10) when it has to play without him!!”

But, at the same time, I also keep hearing, “T.J. has nothing to do with the team’s postseason drought!”

I’m sorry, but I can’t reconcile that. If Watt has “nothing to do” with playoff outcomes, how is he worth $108M? And if we highlight the team’s bad record without him, why are we supposed to divorce him from it when we consider the playoff failures?

• Don’t get bogged down in the push-pull between national reporters and local media when it comes to framing Watt’s contract.

Most of the national reporters are calling it a three-year, $41 million per year extension. They are carrying water for Watt’s agents at CAA, who want to underscore that the “new money” is $1 million more per year than the new money that Garrett got in his deal a few months ago.

Some local reporters are framing it as a reconstructed four-year contract where the AAV is $36 million. They are advancing the deal in a way that doesn’t make it look like Steelers ownership/management was just spanked with a fat roll of Art Rooney II’s own $100 bills.

But they were. Watt won. Anything else is semantics.

Neither side is wrong, nor are they lying. They are just choosing to characterize the deal based on who their sources are.

TribLive’s Joe Rutter did an excellent job presenting things from both perspectives after the contract was signed Thursday.

Watt’s new money is $1 million more per year than Garrett’s. His guaranteed money at signing was $108 million. Garrett’s was $88 million.

Garrett got more years and more guarantees later in the deal, but Watt got what he wanted.

• Many have wondered why the Steelers put pen to paper on this contract when they did, given that there had been numerous recent reports that the two sides were far apart.

First of all, I think Micah Parsons’ recent quote that “I’m just going to get mine no matter what” probably motivated the Steelers to get a deal done now before Parsons pushed the bar even higher.

Second, they just went through three months of “When is Aaron Rodgers signing? Is Aaron Rodgers showing up? How long before Aaron Rodgers’ deal gets done?” They also did that with Watt already in 2021, and with Le’Veon Bell a few years before that.

They didn’t want to do it all over again with a guy they consider a franchise icon.

Even if his ring finger doesn’t suggest that.

• An excuse that is often advanced on behalf of Watt for his late-season slides is that head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin are lousy at figuring out different ways to move Watt around in pass-rushing situations. He almost always comes from the defense’s left side and tries to blow by two or three blockers on his way to the quarterback.

Because we played playoff teams who are in the playoffs for a reason. They have good coaches and schemed TJ out, and Tomlin did nothing to adjust. TJ is the exact same player he always is in the playoffs, he is failed by his coaches.

— Kevin Breaux (@KevinBreaux34) July 18, 2025

Two things:

1) If anyone playing Watt’s position can be “schemed out” of every playoff game he’s ever played, no one at that position should be getting $108 million.

2) Watt has lobbied to consistently rush over the offense’s right tackle for years. It is his preference. Even he acknowledged at the end of 2024 that it might be time for a little more experimentation. 

For $108 million guaranteed, he better be willing to put that money where his mouth is.

• Watt’s salary cap hit for 2026-27 will be $42 million each season. It’ll be $46 million in 2028. None of that completely precludes the Steelers from trading for or signing a veteran quarterback who may become available next spring. Although it sure doesn’t make it easier.

So they’d better draft a QB of the future here next April. Based on every move the Steelers have made so far, they don’t exactly strike me as a team that is trying to tank.

Omar Khan will truly earn his contract extension if he can move up from 9-8 draft territory into the Top 5 picks to select such a QB if one is present.

• Finally, here’s some free advice for NFL owners: Give up the franchise tag.

Very few teams use it to the extent that they should. The only thing that scares owners more than their beloved veteran players holding out is actually hitting them with the tag.

The Steelers could’ve had Watt play out 2025 and tagged him in 2026 if they wanted. But, alas, as J.J. Watt said, the Steelers want to make sure T.J. was “happy.”

The players hate franchise tags even though the owners are reluctant to use them. So maybe put the franchise tag on the negotiating table the next time the CBA rolls around as one of the many chips you’ll need as concessions to get that much-desired 18th regular season game.

Or at least demand more punitive punishments for players when they hold out.

Listen: Tim Benz and Joe Rutter discuss T.J. Watt’s new contract