‘I Haven’t Heard That’ Says NFL Insider of Steelers’ T.J. Watt Rumor originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Most of us can agree that somehow, some way, the Pittsburgh Steelers will soon make edge rusher T.J. Watt one of the highest-paid defenders in the NFL – again.
How much will Watt get? What about years and guarantees? What about where he will end up ranking amid the highest-paid guys in the game … and in the history of the game?
Thats where we don’t all agree.
Bleacher Report’s James Palmer is reporting that the Watt number could be at the very all-time top, up and over the Cleveland Browns’ recent deal with Myles Garrett.
Color us skeptical … but let’s hear out Palmer …
“I’m hearing there’s a chance Watt gets past $40 (million APY(, which is something we’re really keeping an eye on, right? That if he gets that $40 million per year at the age that he is at. ” Palmer said on his NFL Insider Notebook. “He has every right to ask for it. I’ve talked on here a lot about the comparisons between him and Myles Garrett. The numbers are almost identical in every aspect in terms of superlatives and in terms of numbers, and they came in the same draft class.
“He has the right to try to get that. We’ll see.”
Whoa.
Our response? With all due respect to the plugged-in Palmer, this take sounds like it comes from someone who just got off the phone with T.J. and his agent. … It kinda comes out of the blue.
Watt is presently entering the final season of his $112 million extension signed just ahead of the 2021 NFL year At the time, the deal made Watt the highest-paid NFL defender.
On that extension, the edge rusher has received an average annual salary of $28 million.
But other defenders have blown past that historic deal over the past four years. Garrett signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the Browns this offseason.
Meshing with our take is “Rap Sheet’s” similar response to Palmer’s report.
During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network was asked about the $40 million rumor.
“I still believe it’s gonna work out. But I hadn’t heard that number,” Rapoport said. “And I hadn’t heard that anything is imminent.”
Rapoport is being polite here.
“I hadn’t heard that number” is a nice way of saying … “That’s not the number.”
So we will stick with “out of the blue” view while hoping that Watt and the Steelers forge a deal in time for training camp.
Related: Bills Trade For T.J. Watt Rumor Includes 2 Massive Details
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.