The Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to a new contract extension with edge rusher T.J. Watt just last year. But unfortunately, the deal is already not aging well.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon sees it as one of the worst contracts from a team’s perspective in the NFL.
When tasked with naming the most-overpaid player from each NFL team Friday, Gagnon picked Watt for the Steelers.
“He’s had an incredible career, but Watt’s three-year, $123 million contract makes him the third-highest-paid defensive player in the league,” Gagnon wrote. “His sack numbers have plummeted in back-to-back campaigns entering his age-32 season.
“The eight-time Pro Bowler is not even close to being worth that kind of money these days.”
In 2023, Watt led the league with 19 sacks. It was the third time he finished first in the NFL in sacks, and many pundits considered him a snub for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
So even when his sack numbers declined to 11.5 in 2024, pundits and fans argued Watt had earned his new record-breaking deal last offseason.
But in 2025, Watt posted seven sacks in 14 games. That tied the edge rusher’s career low in sacks for a season where he played more than 10 games.
In 2026, Watt will have a $42 million cap hit. The edge rusher will possess a $42 million or greater cap hit through the 2028 season.
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