The Pittsburgh Steelers have made their star outside linebacker TJ Watt the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player.
Watt is scheduled to make $123 million (£92 million) over the course of the three-year agreement and was entering the final season of the four-year extension he signed in 2021.
Watt shared a picture on Instagram of himself in his signature No 90 jersey and posted a photo to his stories alongside third-year Steelers outside linebacker Nick Herbig.
The average annual value of $41 million (£30 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 value also surpasses the average salary of Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who became the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback after agreeing to a new contract worth $40.25 million (£29 million) a season.
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Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said his decision to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers was ‘best for my soul’.
The new-look Steelers – now led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers – report to training camp at Saint Vincent College next Wednesday.
Watt, who tied an NFL record by racking up 22 1/2 sacks in 2021, is vital to the Steelers’ defense and will be relied on heavily if they want to end a playoff drought that stretches back to the 2016 AFC Championship, a few months before the Steelers selected Watt with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 draft.
