The Pittsburgh Steelers took their time in contract discussions with superstar pass rusher T.J. Watt. While the situation took a lot longer to figure out than fans would have liked, the end result was what everyone was hoping to see.
Watt agreed to a massive three-year, $123 million contract extension this week.
Keeping Watt in town was a huge priority for the Steelers. For a team that has had an entire offseason dedicated to competing for a championship, he was the final piece to the puzzle.
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Now that the deal is done, the question is, can Watt continue playing at the level he has shown so far throughout his career?
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One Pittsburgh insider sounded off with his thoughts on the matter. He made an extremely bold guarantee regarding Watt.
Ray Fittipaldo of the Pitsburgh Post-Gazette did not hold back when revealing what he’s expecting from the veteran superstar.
“They’re betting on him to perform,” Fittipaldo said. “Let’s take out the torn pec year. Every other year, except for his rookie year, he’s in double-digit sacks … So if he is not injured, I think the Steelers are guaranteed to get double-digit sacks out of him for the remainder of this contract. And I think if he’s right, you’re probably talking 15, 16 a year based on what he’s done in the past.”
Looking back at last season when Watt did deal with some nagging injury issues, he still played in all 17 games. He racked up 61 total tackles to go along with 11.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four defended passes.
There is no reason to think that he would produce any less than that in 2025.
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At least for now, the Steelers should be viewed as a top-tier Super Bowl contender in the AFC. With Aaron Rodgers leading the offense along with DK Metcalf and the addition of Jalen Ramsey defensively, the team looks good.
If Watt can come in and dominate defensively like he has throughout his career thus far, Pittsburgh will be in a great place. Fittipaldo is likely on the right track with his expectations for the 30-year-old pass rusher this season.
Everything will begin for the new-look Steelers in Week 1 on September 7 with a road matchup against the New York Jets.
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