Star edge rusher T.J. Watt and his Pittsburgh Steelers have been involved in contract negotiations for the better part of the past calendar year.
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Watt is slated to earn a base salary of $10.09 million in 2021. He’s vastly underpaid in the grand scheme of things.
With the negotiations getting a bit contentious as of late, we’re now hearing rumblings that something could be finalized here soon.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, J.J. Watt is set to sign a contract that will make him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history once the finish up the preseason against the Carolina Panthers later this week.
What will a T.J. Watt contract extension look like?
As of right now, Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Joey Bosa is the highest-paid defender in the NFL with an average annual salary of $27 million. Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett just inked a five-year, $125 million extension last year. Based on this report, it’s safe to assume that T.J. Watt will see his next contract max out at nearly $30 million per season.
Click here to find out where the Pittsburgh Steelers stand in our NFL defense rankings
To say that this former first-round pick from Wisconsin has earned it would be an understatement. Since entering the league as the No. 30 pick back in 2017, Watt has recorded a combined 111 quarterback hits, 49.5 sacks and 17 forced fumbles in 62 games. Last season alone, he led the league in tackles for loss (23) and sacks (15).
A five-year deal worth roughly $150 million seems to be in the cards here, completely resetting the NFL defensive market as we know it.