As the 2021 NFL season kicks off, Pittsburgh Steelers fans learned some very exciting news on Thursday afternoon. Star linebacker T.J. Watt has agreed to a four-year extension with $80 million in guaranteed money to remain with the Steelers. The full value of the extension is $112 million.
The deal, which gives Watt an average salary of $28 million per season, makes him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter. reported that Watt ended up overruling his own agents in order to get the deal done. His agents believed that he could get more money but Warr decided to visit personally with Steelers president Art Rooney II to agree to the extension. He then left to immediately get back to workouts.
Watt effectively announced the deal himself on Twitter with a very Pittsburgh-y tweet of his own.
Perhaps no one is as excited as T.J. as his brother J.J., who tweeted out a question about some unpaid debts. Wonder if T.J. kept his brother’s Venmo handle handy.
Plenty of T.J.’s Steelers teammates chimed in as well with congrats.
“This is a guy who was more than deserving of this contract,” Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward told ESPN. “It’s great to know his future is here in Pittsburgh.”
Someone else who must be pretty happy is Ben Roethlisberger, who said this week that “T.J. should get whatever the heck he wants.” That appears to have been the case.
[ESPN]