Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Steelers Make T.J. Watt Highest Paid Non Quarterback – Does Watt’s Extension Justify Him As the Best Pass Rusher?

T.J. Watt will remain in the Steel City until 2029

Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

A mega deal in the NFL went down yesterday when linebacker T.J. Watt signed a record-breaking 3-year extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Watt, now 30 years old, has become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league for the second time in his illustrious career so far.

The 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year signed a 3-year extension worth $123 million, which comes with a $108 million guarantee at the time of signing. His latest contract comes out to an average annual salary of $41 million.

This is the third time this offseason that the pass rusher market has been reset following contract extensions of Maxx Crosby ($35.5 million per year) and Myles Garrett ($40 million per year). Watt not only leapfrogged ahead of Browns’ pass rusher Garrett, but also the Bengals’ wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who held the top spot with an average annual salary of $40.25 million.

Breaking: Steelers star T.J. Watt has become the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history for the second time in his career after reaching an agreement on a three-year, $123 million extension that includes $108M fully guaranteed at signing, sources told @AdamSchefter.

The $41 million… pic.twitter.com/dAqVKlKYd6
— ESPN (@espn) July 17, 2025

Where Does Watt Rank Among Other Top Pass Rushers?

The war between the top pass rushers in the NFL is now truly on. While there are plenty of players considered to be at a high level when it comes to the art of getting to the quarterback, Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, and T.J. Watt are generally the ones making the most headlines.

That said, the NFL community is divided in terms of which of these players is the best of the lot, and the race between Garrett, Watt, and Parsons is especially tough. But, seeing Watt’s latest contract, does it justifiably make him better than Garrett, and where does Parsons fit into this equation?

WATT a payday😤#HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/YUtD7kdpJJ
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) July 17, 2025

If we take a look at an overall comparison between Garrett and Watt, both players have had a tremendous amount of success on the field. Both players have been instrumental to the success of their respective teams.

However, an in-depth look at their overall career stats reveals that in reality, Watt has had the better production as compared to the Browns’ star. For instance, Watt has played 4 more games than his counterpart, but has 108 sacks to Garrett’s 102.5 and 331 solo tackles to Garrett’s 250.

Watt also leads Garrett in interceptions, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries. He has 7 Pro Bowl appearances to Garrett’s 6, while both players are tied with 6 All-Pro nominations, and each has won the Defensive Player of the Year Award once.

Here’s your Friendly reminder:

T.J. Watt > Myles Garrett

It’s not close. Never was. Never will be. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Tag a Browns fan to remind them! #NFL #Steelers pic.twitter.com/KGGD3V8jVw
— The Standard (@TheStandard412) June 18, 2025

And even though that might be the case, the contract extensions for Bengals’ defender Trey Hendrickson and Parsons in Dallas are still pending. Both players have a case to earn their fair share of money, but with Parsons’ level of production and his younger age, he is likely to command more than $41 million per year after Watt’s recent contract.

Prior to T.J. Watt’s record-breaking $41M APY extension, Cowboys LB Micah Parsons said the rising market and his asking price have to do with the team waiting so long to finalize a deal⌛️📈

The market has been reset, and Parsons will now seek more than $41M per year. pic.twitter.com/R9WtYajXnZ
— Football Forever (@fballforeverhq) July 17, 2025

Where Do the Steelers Stand Following Watt’s Record Deal?

Interestingly enough, even after this huge deal, the Steelers are still in great shape in terms of cap space. Their $153.3 million investment on defense is the highest among all 32 teams, but their $106.5 million investment on offense comes in at the 29th spot.

The exciting news is, this offseason has been a rare one for the Steelers nation with so many signings that are seen as improvements all across the field. Along with securing Watt for three more years, Pittsburgh has added top defensive players such as cornerbacks Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey, safety Juan Thornhill, and their 2025 first-round draft pick, defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.

The offense is also expected to be better this time around, with 4-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers leading the unit under center and the addition of former Seahawk wide receiver DK Metcalf.

The Steelers have a real chance at a deep run in the postseason this year. The AFC is quite a tight conference, and the NFC North is probably the tightest division in the league, but Pittsburgh has put together a strong team. The only question is, how far can they truly go?

Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!