PITTSBURGH _ Here's guessing the Steelers didn't have to think too long or hard about this one. They're picking up the fifth-year option on star outside linebacker T.J. Watt's rookie contract, the team announced Tuesday afternoon.
It was essentially a paper move for a no-brainer decision on one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL. Watt, the 30th pick in the 2017 draft, is coming off his second consecutive Pro Bowl and first All-Pro season as he enters his fourth year in the league. This move, which had to be made by May 3, officially makes him a Steeler through the 2021 season.
Fellow pass-rusher Bud Dupree earned a base salary of a little over $9 million last season playing on his fifth-year option. But it's more than likely neither Watt nor the Steelers will ever technically utilize that extra year of the rookie deal, considering a long-term extension for him doesn't need to wait until 2021.
This time last year, the Steelers declined the fifth-year option on cornerback Artie Burns. Burns left in free agency and signed a one-year deal with Chicago.
