The Pittsburgh Steelers, the team that will decide who the highest compensated defensive player in the NFL will be, have a simple rule that will guarantee T.J. Watt the player will be the highest paid. It’s this simple: if there are two players who are equal in ability and performance, the one who is the youngest will win. And, if the younger player wins, the older player will still get paid his full salary, according to Mike Tomlin. This is good news for T.J. Watt, who stands to be the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL for the first time in his career.
This season, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense is one of the best in the NFL. Their quarterback is one of the best in the AFC, they have one of the league’s most explosive offenses, and their defense is one of the best in the league (and they may be even better than that).
Incredibly, the Pittsburgh Steelers are having to deal with a potentially disastrous scenario already. Apparently, the team is slated to pay T.J. Watt their highest-paid defensive player of all time. The discrepancy came about when Watt was, at one point, weighing around 225 pounds, while he’s now listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very believable listed at the very
T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the youngest of the Watt siblings, but he is on his way to being the highest-paid player in the NFL.
No, this isn’t a sign that a deal is on the way. Watt is staging a sit-in as he searches for a new contract in the last year of his present one. However, unless they want to violate one of their own bargaining rules, the Steelers must sign Watt before the start of the season.
T.J. Watt’s contract is up for renewal, and he’ll get a big raise.
T.J. Watt is a genuine contender for one of the NFL’s top two defensive backs.
According to Pro Football Focus, Watt and Los Angeles Rams star defensive end Aaron Donald were the only two defensive players to get an overall grade of 90 or better in the previous two seasons (PFF). Though he had a strong case for the honor, the Steelers edge rusher barely lost out on the 2020 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
This past season, the 26-year-old led the NFL with 15.0 sacks and 23 tackles for a loss. He also piled up 41 quarterback hits, making opposing quarterbacks feel his presence in the backfield all the time. He doesn’t simply rush the quarterback and stifle the run. Watt excels at dropping into coverage and swatting balls at the line of scrimmage, completing three of his first four seasons with at least seven passes defended.
Watt has now been named to the All-Pro team in back-to-back seasons and has been in the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons. He is without a doubt one of the greatest defenders in the game and will be compensated appropriately.
T.J. Watt is expected to sign a contract deal soon after the Carolina game, putting him in line to become the league’s highest-paid defensive player.
August 23, 2021 — Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac)
The Pittsburgh Post-Gerry Gazette’s Dulac tweeted on Monday that Steelers fans should anticipate Watt to sign a contract extension that would make him the league’s highest-paid defensive player. It’s unclear if this was factual reporting or opinion, but it’s as if it were written in stone.
The Steelers have a few internal rules surrounding contract talks with players, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The most essential rule is that once the season starts, Pittsburgh does not negotiate. The second point to consider is that the Steelers seldom negotiate contract extensions with players until they are in their last season, which is also true in Watt’s situation.
Watt’s rookie deal is coming to an end this season. As a result, he seems to be eligible for an extension. Watt is also unlikely to leave the Steelers on the free market.
Unless they intend to violate a long-standing organizational norm and negotiate during the season, Watt is on his way out. Donald and Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Joey Bosa have the greatest overall value ($135 million), with Bosa leading all defenders in total guarantees ($78 million) and yearly average value ($27 million). Watt, on the other hand, would be surprised if he didn’t beat Bosa in at least two of those three categories.
Perhaps Pittsburgh is just biding its time, but the great edge rusher should soon be dubbed “highest-paid player.”
The Watt brothers are gearing up for a successful year in 2021.
Watt is due for a big payout soon | Joe Sargent/Getty Images Watt is due for a big payday soon.
As the 2021 season begins, the Watt brothers will have a lot to be grateful for.
J.J. undoubtedly earned more guaranteed money ($23 million) than most football fans anticipated for a player with his background. In a congested NFC West, he’ll attempt to help an emerging Arizona Cardinals squad make the jump.
T.J. was already playing with his elder brother, Derek, who inked a three-year contract with the Steelers last spring. T.J. is expected to sign his own deal, which would make him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.
Pro Football Reference provided the statistics.
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