T.J. Watt contract details: Steelers pay up for Defensive Player of the Year candidate

Massive news has arrived out of Pittsburgh, with the Steelers giving stud pass-rusher T.J. Watt an enormous four-year contract extension. 

The off-field talk regarding T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers has been put to bed. Throughout the offseason, the focus had been on whether or not the Pittsburgh front office would give Watt a fat new deal. Folks, they’ve done that and more.

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Watt has just agreed to a four-year extension worth $112 million, with $80 million of that being guaranteed. Watt’s contract now makes him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. Goodness.

T.J. Watt is now the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL

If you did a double take while looking at Rapoport’s tweet, trust us when we say that you’re not alone. This is a massive chunk of change for Watt, but there’s no question he was worthy of a major payday. The standout pass-rusher is one of the best in the game, as the man was born to bring down quarterbacks.

Last season, Watt earned First-Team All-Pro honors after posting 15 sacks. The year before, he was also a First-Team All-Pro selection with 14.5 sacks. In 2018, Watt had 13 sacks. Those numbers are unreal, which is why it was finally time for Pittsburgh to pony up and put big-time dollars on the table.

Ben Roethlisberger even came out earlier this week and said that the Steelers should pay Watt ‘whatever he wants’ for his new deal. With the Steelers quarterback pushing for the team to get things over the finish line, Watt is now a happy man.

Come Sunday against the Bills, Watt will look to put heavy pressure on Josh Allen and remind the Pittsburgh faithful why he’s deserving of more than $100 million over the next four campaigns.