The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in the news constantly throughout the 2025 offseason. General Manager Omar Khan cannot stop making moves, and he has been making sure he is giving Head Coach Mike Tomlin the best team possible to be able to compete in the AFC. This included taking care of some in-house business, while also upgrading some positions and moving on from certain players. One issue that had been plaguing the Steelers in recent weeks was the contract dispute with star outside linebacker TJ Watt, but that is no longer a problem as the two sides agreed to a new deal on Thursday.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' TJ Watt smiles before a Week 12 game against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football during the 2024 NFL season.
Watt signed a three-year extension worth a total of $123 million with $108 guaranteed, and that deal will keep him under contract in Pittsburgh through the 2028 season. Some fans wanted to see the organization try to trade Watt for a nice haul of draft capital that could help the team land its next franchise quarterback, but the Steelers believe they can win now, and Watt is a major part of that.
ESPN analyst Sam Acho spoke on NFL Live on Thursday, and he discussed why Watt deserved this deal.
"He's feared by offensive linemen," Acho said. "I was at the O-line Masterminds, they have a full breakdown on, okay, how do we try to stop or slow down TJ Watt. So yes, it's well deserved."
It is difficult to say that Watt's deal is not well-deserved, but it is understandable why some fans would have wanted to see what the franchise could have gotten for the defensive star, especially with young talent like Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer behind him. However, Acho's anecdote about the annual summit for offensive linemen around the league shows just how much of a true talent Watt is, in case some fans in Pittsburgh did not know that already.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith sub out during a Wild Card matchup against the Ravens in 2025.
Watt's production doesn't lie. He might have struggled a bit at the end of the 2024 season, but that was after he suffered a nagging ankle injury. 108 is the total number of sacks he has recorded since entering the NFL back in 2017, which is also the most in the NFL since that time. His dominance cannot be questioned, and the fact that offensive linemen from around the league are meeting together to try and figure out how to slow him down shows how special he is.
If Watt can stay healthy throughout the 2025 season, there is no reason to believe that he won't be in contention for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award. He will likely be near the top of the sack leaderboards, and he will have created his fair share of turnovers. He is a complete game-wrecker, which is exactly why he deserved every penny of his new contract.
Steelers' Watt Has His Best Chance To Win In 2025
Watt has famously never won a playoff game during his career in Pittsburgh, despite countless appearances. The Steelers have not just lost these games, they have gotten completely blown out in most cases. The fan base is sick of it, and the 2025 team might have the best chance to break the curse.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' TJ Watt gets the defense pumped up before a victory over the Baltimore Ravens in 2024.
Aaron Rodgers should provide Pittsburgh with the best quarterback play it has had since Ben Roethlisberger, and the upgrades throughout the rest of the roster should make fans optimistic. The rookie class seems promising, and all good teams have rookies that are able to contribute. Pittsburgh should be set up to make a splash in the postseason in 2025, which could end the near-decade long drought of playoff success. Watt desperately wants the chance to win a Super Bowl, but time is running out for the star defender.
What do you think about the remarks from Acho? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
