Steelers, T.J. Watt reportedly agree to contract extension making him NFL's highest paid defensive player

With the season opener just three days away, the Pittsburgh Steelers finally made outside linebacker T.J. Watt the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

According to a NFL Network report, the Steelers and Watt agreed Thursday to a four-year deal worth $112 million and includes $80 million in guaranteed money. The deal averages $28 million per season and includes the most amount of guaranteed money in franchise history.

The Steelers did not immediately announce the deal.

Watt is scheduled to speak with the media on Friday. He used his verified Twitter account to announce his long-term commitment to the Steelers.

“If it’s ok with Yinz, I’d like to stay a while!!” Watt wrote.

If it’s ok with Yinz, I’d like to stay a while!! LETS GO PITTSBURGH!!!! pic.twitter.com/itjnF7XNLd

— TJ Watt (@_TJWatt) September 9, 2021

Guaranteeing $80 million in salary is a departure from policy for the Steelers, who historically have guaranteed only the signing bonus and first year of a contract.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Watt’s agents tried to get a bigger contract, but that Watt went to Steelers president Art Rooney II and agreed to the latest offer.

Watt’s contract doesn’t contain the most total money given to a defensive player, but it is a high in terms of annual salary.

In the days leading up to the 2018, the Chicago Bears gave pass rusher Khalil Mack a six-year, $141 million contract, and former Pitt star Aaron Donald signed a six-year, $135 million extension with the Los Angeles Rams.

In 2020, Joey Bosa set the bar in terms of average annual value when he agreed to a five-year, $135 million extension with the Los Angeles Chargers. That amounted to $27 million annually.

Including the $10.089 million Watt will make this season, he is set to earn $122.089 million over the next five years.

Watt set himself up for the big payday by finishing second to Donald for the NFL defensive player of the year award in 2020. Watt led all NFL pass rushers with 15 sacks and 23 tackles for loss.

In four seasons with the Steelers, Watt has started 62 of 64 games, totaling 49.5 sacks. He has been elected to the Pro Bowl three times and is a two-time, first-team All-Pro selection.

“Nothing to gloss over, this guy has been a contributor to us for a long time,” defensive captain Cameron Heyward said Thursday. “Where he got drafted (No. 30 overall in 2017), we were lucky. We all knew he would be a player here. He has answered the call and done more.”

Heyward was the second team captain in as many days to lobby for the Steelers to get Watt’s contract done before the season opener Sunday at Buffalo.

“We all feel like T.J. should be paid,” Heyward said. “He’s put in the time and the work. He’s a productive player. Look at his (lack of) injury history. He’s out there, he doesn’t miss much. He’s a game changer.”

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger lobbied on Wednesday for the Steelers to pay Watt “whatever the heck he wants.”

Watt did not attend offseason workouts and his participation in training camp was limited to conditioning drills and individual reps. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler acknowledged Aug. 7 that Watt wasn’t practicing until his contract situation was finalized.

With the team’s blessing, Watt didn’t begin practicing with his teammates until Wednesday, and he was on the practice field Thursday.

Butler said the Steelers need to be mindful of Watt’s snap count in the opener Sunday. That is complicated by second-year outside linebacker Alex Highsmith’s limited activity in practice this week.

“I think we’ve got to be careful about how many plays he plays,” Butler said about Watt. “He’s a veteran. He knows how he feels. He knows how he’s going to feel when he starts playing. We just have to be smart enough to know how much is too much and how much is too little. We will try to pick a spot in that situation and keep him as healthy as we can.”

Watching the negotiations with interest was All-Pro free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who will enter the final year of his contract next offseason.

“It’s where I could be next year or in the future,” Fitzpatrick said, “so I have been talking with him and getting a feel for how the organization and everybody else is going about it.”