T.J. Watt expected to receive historic contract extension

PITTSBURGH — This story originally appeared on SteelersNow.com.

Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt is entering the final year of his contract in 2025. With that said, it’s fair to assume the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year will receive another massive contract extension this offseason and one that most believe will shatter the record.

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is currently the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, earning $34 million per year. Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda thinks Watt will surpass that and then some.

“T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers is also in the final year of his four-year, $112 million contract he signed in 2022,” Pauline writes. “Watt has combined for 30.5 sacks the past two seasons, winning Pro Bowl and various All-Pro honors each year. Sources say an extension now would award Watt somewhere in the range of $35 to $37 million annually.”

That is quite the price tag of the 30-year-old who is coming off a bit of a down year in 2024, during which he registered the third least sacks in a season (11.5) in his career. The other two seasons were his rookie year (seven sacks) and 2022 (5.5 sacks) when he played in just 10 games due to a knee injury.

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