The Pittsburgh Steelers and star edge-rusher T.J. Watt finally reached an agreement on a contract extension on Thursday afternoon, following months of speculation over the status of the negotiations and Watt's future in the 412.
The new deal is worth a purported $123 million across three years, which would make Watt the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Indeed, the tally surpasses that of both Browns lineman Myles Garrett and Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase, each of whom reset the non-QB market earlier this offseason.
Watt himself celebrated the new deal with a caption-less post on Instagram—a picture is worth a thousand words, after all—but his brother, former NFL star J.J. Watt, didn't need nearly that many to toast to the achievement.
Instead, the eldest Watt brother acknowledged the monumental extension with just three words: "Earned. Deserved. Incredible," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), shortly after news broke.
Earned.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 17, 2025
Deserved.
Incredible. @_TJWatt @steelers
As J.J. alluded, the 30-year-old T.J. really is one of the few bright spots amid the Steelers' ongoing crisis of mediocrity. The former DPOY led the league in sacks in 2020, 2021 and 2023, and has been elected to seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams across his eight-year career. Last season, he finished with 11.5 sacks (tied for 8th-most) and a league-leading six forced fumbles.
Also on Thursday, J.J. soon after followed up his initial missive with a funny tongue-in-cheek post regarding the difference in earnings between himself and his bro:
I swear, if this guy even lets me begin to reach for my wallet at dinner… https://t.co/R52TsWBgYP
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 17, 2025
The man's got a point.
The youngest Watt will now enter the final year of his current contract—and his ninth year in Black and Gold—in the fall.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as J.J. Watt Used Just Three Words to Describe T.J. Watt's Mammoth Deal With Steelers.
