Steelers' Mike Tomlin Got His T.J. Watt Wish

The Pittsburgh Steelers got their final, and perhaps most important, order of business done this offseason upon signing star pass rusher T.J. Watt to a record-setting extension last week worth $123 million over three years.

Watt is now the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, surpassing Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase for that title, and he'll head to training camp with the long-term security he desired.

It comes as no surprise that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin pushed hard for the deal to come together, with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac stating that he didn't want any diversions once the start of camp rolled around.

"Mike Tomlin did not want any more 'distractions' heading into training camp," Dulac said on the DVE Morning Show, per Steelers Depot's Matthew Marczi. "Mike Tomlin's feeling all along was, 'get that deal done. Pay him. Just get the deal done.' He doesn't control the purse strings, but he can certainly push them in a certain direction. Yeah, I think that was definitely part of it."

With negotiations seemingly going nowhere for a prolonged period of time, the Steelers and Tomlin didn't want the lack of an agreement with Watt to linger over their heads while heading into a consequential 2025 campaign.

"They go into camp not wondering, 'Is T.J. gonna be here? Is he not gonna be here? Is his deal gonna get done?'" Dulac said. "They knew the deal would get done, but they just didn't want a lot of head-butting going on during the process."

The two sides never felt destined to break apart and move on from one another. While a deal always felt inevitable, getting it done before camp allows for a more all-around seamless process.

Watt will make $4 million in base salary this season before that number jumps up to $32 million in both 2026 and 2027. Pittsburgh's all-time leader in sacks with 108, he'll look to put together another dominant campaign after posting 11.5 quarterback takedowns and six forced fumbles last season, leading to a fourth-place finish in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting.