The Pittsburgh Steelers make star linebacker T.J. Watt the NFL's highest-paid defender

PITTSBURGH — T.J. Watt has wanted to be a ''one-helmet guy'' from the second he arrived in Pittsburgh eight years ago.

The star outside linebacker took one big step toward that goal on Thursday, agreeing to a new pact that will make him the league's highest-paid defender and keep the perennial All-Pro in black-and gold well into his 30s.

Watt, who was entering the final season of the four-year extension he signed in 2021, is scheduled to make $123 million over the course of the three-year agreement, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract had not yet been made public.

ESPN first reported the extension.

Watt appeared to celebrate by making a rare Instagram post on Thursday afternoon, sharing a picture of him flexing in his signature No. 90 jersey. Watt also posted a photo in his Instagram stories of him posing alongside protégé and third-year Steelers outside linebacker Nick Herbig.

The agreement's average annual value of $41 million eclipses the previous record contract for a defender set by Cleveland defensive lineman and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in March.

The annual average salary is also tick above what Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase received when he (briefly) became the league's highest-paid non-quarterback a few days after Garrett agreed to terms with the Browns.

The fact that Watt's extension is worth 2.5% more per season than Garrett's (whose overall total value of $204 million is still higher than Watt's) is not a coincidence. Watt, the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year and a four-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, has long believed he is the best edge rusher in the NFL.

For the second time in four years, he's being paid like it, though he might not hold the distinction of being the league's highest-paid defender for long. Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons is also due for an extension that — given Parsons' age (26) and the league's ever-rising salary cap — figures to set the bar even higher.

Watt, who turns 31 in November, took the unusual step of skipping mandatory minicamp last month in hopes of putting pressure on Pittsburgh's front office to get something done. Head coach Mike Tomlin brushed off Watt's absence, saying it was only a matter of time before things worked themselves out.

The timing couldn't be better. The new-look Steelers — now led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers — report to training camp at Saint Vincent College next Wednesday.

They'll do it with a familiar face in tow. Watt, who tied an NFL record by racking up 22 1/2 sacks in 2021, is the linchpin of a defense that will be relied on heavily if the Steelers want to end a playoff drought that stretches to the 2016 AFC Championship, a few months before the Steelers selected Watt with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 draft.

While Watt is putting together a Hall-of-Fame worthy resume, the one thing he is lacking is any sort of postseason success. Watt's singular brilliance has helped keep the Steelers competitive during his tenure, Pittsburgh is winless in the postseason with Watt in the lineup, most of them losses in which the defense has struggled.

Watt, who has 108 sacks in 121 regular-season games, has just one in four playoff appearances.

The Steelers are taking a flyer on 2025 — signing Rodgers and trading for veteran defensive back Jalen Ramsey, among other notable moves — and are intent on trying to find their next franchise quarterback in the 2026 draft, which just so happens to be taking place in Pittsburgh.

The lack of star power under center, however, has given the team the financial flexibility to take care of Watt now, hoping he can remain an impact player into his mid-30s in the same way longtime teammate Cam Heyward has done.

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AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.

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