Behind the Steel Curtain
Watt’s deal is guaranteed through 2027. He’s under contract through 2028.
The Steelers put an end to their biggest remaining offseason storyline on Thursday, signing star outside linebacker T.J. Watt to a three-year, $123 million extension.
The contract’s per-year average is $41 million, $1 million more than Myles Garrett’s deal, making Watt the current highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
As with every contract, the details tell the full story. Per a report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Watt’s deal is structured as follows (cap numbers per Over the Cap):
2025: $4 million base salary, fully guaranteed — $23.4 million cap hit
2026: $32 million base salary, fully guaranteed — $42 million cap hit
2027: $32 million base salary, fully guaranteed — $42 million cap hit
2028: $21.05 million base salary with $15 million offseason roster bonus due in March (neither guaranteed) — $46.05 million cap hit
Watt’s deal includes $108 million guaranteed from 2025-27, including a $40 million signing bonus. The last year of the deal, 2028, is not guaranteed. By then, Watt will be 34.
Per OTC, Watt would cost just $10 million in dead cap space if cut in 2028. His highest cap percentage is projected in 2026, where it’ll be 14.2%.
In 2025, Watt’s cap hit decreased around $7 million thanks to the extension. Per Spotrac, that leaves the Steelers with around $32.3 million remaining in top-51 cap space.
