T.J. Watt contract a sigh of relief for Steelers fans, strong investment for team

The Pittsburgh Steelers have inked star pass-rusher T.J. Watt to a huge contract extension, a deal that comes with a sigh of relief after reported issues.

Just a couple of days ago, it seemed like T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers might be heading towards a bad place as the pass-rusher and organization negotiated a lucrative contract extension. Reports indicated that the team’s refusal to guarantee money beyond the first year of a new deal were “threatening to sink” talks, leaving them in uncertainty.

Now, on the heels of the start of the 2021 NFL season, things couldn’t feel better in the Steel City regarding the future of their young superstar on defense.

On Thursday, the Steelers and T.J. Watt agreed to a monster four-year, $112 million, as reported by Ian Rapoport. More importantly given the previously reported state of the negotiations, the deal will include $80 million in guarantees, which makes the former first-round pick the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

Locking up T.J. Watt was pivotal to the future of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Go ahead, Steelers fans — you can let out the collective breath you’ve been holding now.

The prospect of losing T.J. Watt was ludicrous to consider for Pittsburgh in their current state. Not only are we talking about one of the premier young defensive players playing at a premium position who has already established himself as a star, but this is a team that’s about to enter a transition phase of sorts.

Ben Roethlisberger is either on or nearing his last legs. There is no transition plan at quarterback as of right now, which means that the Steelers could be left without an offensive identity when he leaves if something doesn’t materialize soon. But they can hang their hat on the fact that they have a strong defense, something that retaining Watt ensures will be the case.

All told, retaining Watt was as no-brainer of a decision as you can think of for this franchise. He’s the focal point of their defense now and moving forward, so letting him walk was never something they could allow to happen. That’s no longer a concern, though. The defense is set up front for the future, which is critical to the sustained success of the Steelers in their current state.