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Steelers' T.J. Watt agrees to four-year, $112M extension

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Sep 9, 2021 5:10 PM ET

It turns out Pittsburgh Steelers 39-year-old quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had little to worry about regarding the future of star pass-rusher T.J. Watt, who is no longer heading into Sunday's regular-season opener at the Buffalo Bills on the final year of his contract.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that Watt has agreed to a historic four-year extension that could be worth over $112 million total and that includes $80 million in fully-guaranteed money:

Sources: The #Steelers and star pass-rusher TJ Watt have a mega-deal. He’s going to sign a 4-year extension worth more than $112M — $28.003M average per year — with $80M fully guaranteed at signing. The highest paid defensive player in football.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 9, 2021

The highest guaranteed for a defensive player and its the #Steelers who do it. The organization broke protocol to get their best defensive player signed. Just a massive deal. The $80M is fully guaranteed for skill, injury and cap. https://t.co/tdatr2Mv6P
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 9, 2021

Watt is a two-time First-Team All-Pro who led the NFL last season with 15 sacks and is unquestionably one of the best defensive players in the game today:

Over the last three years, TJ Watt has led the #NFL in QB Hits (102) and been second in sacks (42.5) and
QB pressures (174).

Just b/c a team has always DONE things one way doesn’t mean it should continue to DO them the same way. #Steelers
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) September 7, 2021

Watt only returned to practice in a team setting on Wednesday after relegating himself to individual drills throughout his summer "hold-in," and NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala previously reported Watt's camp and the Steelers couldn't agree on the amount of guaranteed money attached to the extension. That's no longer an issue just in time for what could, on paper, be a top-tier showdown in Buffalo on Sunday afternoon.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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