Age: 32
Free Agency: 2029 (UFA)
Accrued Seasons: 9
- Height: 6'4"
- Weight: 252
- College: Wisconsin
- Entry: 2017 Draft, Round 1, #30 overall (Steelers)
- 2026 Salary Cap Charge: $42,000,000 (13.13% of cap)
- 2026 Cash Payout: $32,000,000 (14.70% of spending)
- 2026 Cash to Cap Ratio: 0.76
- Contract Value: $123,000,000 ($41,000,000 APY)
- Fully Guaranteed Money: $108,000,000
- Contract Ranking: 3/245 at EDGE
Current Contract
(Extension, signed 2025)
(📝: indicates contract trigger occuring during that year)| Year | Age | Base Salary | Prorated Signing Bonus | Roster Bonus | Guaranteed Salary | Cap Number | Cap % | Dead Money & Cap Savings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 31 | $4,000,000 | $19,368,695 | $0 | $4,000,000 | $23,368,695 | 8.2% | |||||
| 2026 | 32 | $32,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $0 | $32,000,000 | $42,000,000 | 13.1% | |||||
| 2027 | 33 | $32,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $0 | $32,000,000 | $42,000,000 | 12.8% | |||||
| 2028
March 15: Roster bonus due
| 34 | $21,050,000 | $10,000,000 | $15,000,000 | $0 | $46,050,000 | 13.1% | |||||
| Total | $89,050,000 | $49,368,695 | $15,000,000 | $68,000,000 | $153,418,695 | |||||||
Contract Notes
T.J. Watt signed a 3 year contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers worth $123.0 million with $108.0 million fully guaranteed at signing, including a $40.0 million signing bonus. Watt\'s salaries in 2025-2027 are fully guaranteed, and he is due to earn a $15.0 million roster bonus on the 3rd day of the 2028 league year. Initial details from ProFootball Talk
Cash Flows
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Due | $22,950,000 | $32,000,000 | $32,000,000 | $36,050,000 |
| Running Cash | $22,950,000 | $54,950,000 | $86,950,000 | $123,000,000 |
Career Earnings: $154,902,281
Career APY: $17,211,365
Contract History
| Team | Contract Type | Status | Year Signed | Yrs | Total | APY | Guarantees | Amount Earned | % Earned | Effective APY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | Drafted | Extended | 2017 | 4 | $9,258,810 | $2,314,703 | $7,933,745 | $9,258,810 | 100.0% | $2,314,703 |
| Steelers | Extension | Extended | 2021 | 4 | $112,011,000 | $28,002,750 | $80,000,000 | $101,643,471 | 90.7% | $25,410,868 |
| Steelers | Extension | Active | 2025 | 3 | $123,000,000 | $41,000,000 | $108,000,000 | $44,000,000 | 35.8% | $44,000,000 |
Earnings By Team
| Team | Yrs | Salary | APY | Paid on Cap | % Paid on Cap | Paid as Dead Money | % Paid as Dead Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 9 | $154,902,281 | $17,211,365 | $124,902,281 | 0.0% | $0 | 0.0% |
Season History
| Year | Team | Base Salary | Prorated Bonus | Roster Bonus | Guaranteed Salary | Cap Number | Cap % | Cash Paid | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Steelers | $465,000 | $1,218,420 | $0 | $465,000 | $1,683,420 | 1.0% | $5,338,680 | ||
| 2018 | Steelers | $885,855 | $1,218,420 | $0 | $885,855 | $2,104,275 | 1.2% | $885,855 | ||
| 2019 | Steelers | $1,306,710 | $1,218,420 | $0 | $1,306,710 | $2,525,130 | 1.2% | $1,306,710 | ||
| 2020 | Steelers | $1,727,565 | $1,218,420 | $0 | $402,500 | $2,945,985 | 1.5% | $1,727,565 | ||
| 2021 | Steelers | $1,000,000 | $7,118,694 | $0 | $1,000,000 | $8,118,694 | 4.3% | $36,593,471 | ||
| 2022 | Steelers | $15,000,000 | $9,368,694 | $0 | $15,000,000 | $24,368,694 | 11.3% | $24,000,000 | ||
| 2023 | Steelers | $20,000,000 | $9,368,694 | $0 | $20,000,000 | $29,368,694 | 12.8% | $20,000,000 | ||
| 2024 | Steelers | $21,050,000 | $9,368,694 | $0 | $0 | $30,418,694 | 11.8% | $21,050,000 | ||
| 2025 | Steelers | $4,000,000 | $19,368,695 | $0 | $4,000,000 | $23,368,695 | 8.2% | $44,000,000 | ||
| 2026 | Steelers | $32,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $0 | $32,000,000 | $42,000,000 | 13.1% | $32,000,000 | ||
| 2027 | Steelers | $32,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $0 | $32,000,000 | $42,000,000 | 12.8% | $32,000,000 | ||
| 2028 | Steelers | $21,050,000 | $10,000,000 | $15,000,000 | $0 | $46,050,000 | 13.1% | $36,050,000 | ||
| Total | $150,485,130 | $89,467,151 | $15,000,000 | $107,060,065 | $254,952,281 | $254,952,281 | ||||
Statistics
| Year | Games Played | Games Inactive | Snaps | Tackles | Negative Plays | Interceptions | Fumbles | TD | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defense | Special | Solo | Assist | Sacks | Yards | TFL | QB Hits | Pass Def. | INT | Yards | Forced | Rec. | Yards | ||||
| 2017 | 15 | 1 | 76.4% | 33.6% | 34 | 12 | 6 | 35 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 16 | 0 | 86.3% | 13.1% | 50 | 18 | 13 | 87 | 12 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 16 | 0 | 86.5% | 13.3% | 35 | 20 | 14.5 | 104 | 14 | 36 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 15 | 1 | 83.1% | 9.8% | 43 | 10 | 15 | 112.5 | 23 | 41 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 15 | 2 | 65.0% | 6.5% | 48 | 16 | 22.5 | 111.5 | 21 | 39 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 10 | 0 | 47.2% | 7.3% | 27 | 12 | 5.5 | 37.5 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 17 | 0 | 82.5% | 8.0% | 48 | 20 | 19 | 122 | 19 | 36 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 17 | 0 | 85.9% | 8.3% | 40 | 21 | 11.5 | 79.5 | 19 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 14 | 3 | 69.8% | 5.6% | 23 | 32 | 7 | 41 | 10 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Valuation Diamond
The diamond is a scatterplot graph that visualizes the relation of the player's APY (in green) and performance (in blue, as measured by OTC's Valuations) to the rest of the league at his position. To understand how to read the diamond, read this explainer.
| OTC Valuation | APY | |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | $19,281,000 | $41,000,000 |
| Injury Adjusted | $19,281,000 | $41,000,000 |
Weekly Valuation Trends
The chart below illustrates the trend of the player's weekly OTC Valuations (in blue) from the most recent season, using APY (in green) and, if applicable, cash that is due to the player in the next season (in red) as benchmarks. Weeks not plotted indicate that the player was inactive or on a bye.
To see interactive and more in-depth use of OTC Valuation data, subscribe to OTC Premium.