Steelers Come to Terms with All-Pro Edge Rusher
The wait is over, and Steelers fans can finally breathe as T.J. Watt has ended his holdout, signing a record-breaking three-year, $123 million deal to stay with the team, making him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history. This deal will include $108 million of his salary, fully guaranteed. Watt began his holdout by skipping the Steelers’ mandatory minicamp last month. He has been absent from OTAs and was expected to be absent from training camp…until now. The former Defensive Player of the Year has signed a deal that marks a spot in NFL history just for him.
Many teams and players around the league began speculating on whether T.J. Watt and the Steelers would find a deal, stirring the pot and creating trade rumors surrounding the 30-year-old stud. Sorry to say this to the other 31 teams, but dealing with T.J. Watt and Pittsburgh’s defense just got harder. Watt is in the heart of his prime, and there is no answer for him within the league. Excluding his rookie season, Watt has finished with double-digit sacks in each season that he’s played 15+ games. He’s one of the most versatile players to touch the turf, and he’s excited to get back to work.
While recently swapping Minkah Fitzpatrick with Jalen Ramsey in a blockbuster trade, the defense certainly looks a bit different than expected going into the season, but still a force to be reckoned with. I truly don’t see many or even any holes in Pittsburgh’s defense. With T.J. Watt back in the mix, he’s ready to once again anchor that defense and show just why he’s worth the biggest non-QB contract in NFL history. Expectations for the Steelers were circulating that Watt would not have a deal by the start of the season, and that their defense was still solid. Now, you add one of the most dangerous players to rush a quarterback back on the field. Whether it’s from a strictly NFL perspective or a fantasy perspective, with three legitimate cornerbacks, locking up 28-year-old DeShon Elliot, and maintaining by far one of the best defensive lines in the league, the defensive side of the ball on this Steelers team is going to be a nightmare for any offense to face this season.
