Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt. Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Report: T.J. Watt overruled his agents with contract decision

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 9/9/21

T.J. Watt overruled his agents when it came to his contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to a report.

Watt on Thursday agreed to a record-breaking deal with the Steelers. His contract extension is for four years and $112 million.

So what did Watt do? ESPN’s Adam Schefter says Watt overruled his agents to make the deal happen. Watt’s agents are CAA, which also represent Schefter (as of 2020), which leads us to believe the information is accurate.

CAA believed they could get more money from the Steelers, while Watt just wanted the deal done.

Steelers’ OLB T.J. Watt overruled his agents who believed they could get more money today, marched into the office of Steelers president Art Rooney and told him they had a deal. Then the NFL’s new highest-paid defensive player excused himself and announced he had to go work out.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 9, 2021

Watt’s deal makes him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, so the contract was a big win for him. Many agents are also pleased with the deal, because the Steelers broke a long-standing precedent with the agreement.

Watt, 26, led the NFL in sacks last season. He received $80 million guaranteed in the deal.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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