FINAL SEASON OF HIS CONTRACT. COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER JORDAN CIOPPA IS LIVE IN THE NORTH SHORE. JORDAN FANS ARE REALLY FEELING GOOD ABOUT THIS NEWS. YEAH, MIKE SHANNON, THE FANS WE SPOKE WITH SAY THIS $123 MILLION EXTENSION IS WELL DESERVED, AND THEY ARE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT TJ WATT BRINGS TO THE FIELD THESE NEXT FOUR SEASONS. WE LOVE TJ WATT. HE’S HE’S LIKE A PITTSBURGHER AT HEART. I THINK HE DESERVES EVERY PENNY. IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO KEEP THE GOOD GUYS. FANS OF STEELERS LINEBACKER TJ WATT WILL GET TO CHEER ON THE STAR PLAYER FOR ANOTHER FOUR SEASONS. I THINK HE BRINGS A TENACITY THAT WE HAVEN’T SEEN IN A LONG TIME. HE REMINDS ME OF TROY. HE REMINDS ME OF OLDER PLAYERS. YOU CAN SEE THAT HE WORKED SO HARD ON EVERY PLAY. WATT SCORED A HISTORIC $123 MILLION, THREE YEAR EXTENSION, MAKING HIM THE HIGHEST PAID NON QUARTERBACK. THE NFL HAS EVER SEEN. ACCORDING TO REPORTS, THE DEAL INCLUDES $108 MILLION FULLY GUARANTEED. IT COMES OUT TO BE A $41 MILLION PER YEAR AVERAGE. A MILLION MORE THAN MYLES GARRETT’S CONTRACT WITH THE CLEVELAND BROWNS. I THINK EVERYBODY ANTICIPATED ONCE GARRETT’S DEAL GOT DONE, THAT TJ’S DEAL WAS GOING TO GO AT LEAST ONE STEP HIGHER. I THINK IT MAKES SENSE. I THINK THEY DID RIGHT BY HIM, ESPECIALLY DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK. HE’S THE BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN FOOTBALL AND PROBABLY HAS BEEN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. THE DEAL WAS REPORTEDLY MONTHS IN THE MAKING AND COMES BEFORE WATT’S FINAL SEASON OF HIS 2021 CONTRACT. FANS OF THE BLACK AND GOLD COUNTING IT AS A WIN FOR THE TEAM, TOO. YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAD INTO TRAINING CAMP, YOU KNOW, WORRYING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE BEST PLAYER IN A TEAM, SIGN A CONTRACT. YOU KNOW, WE NEED YOU KNOW, WE DEFINITELY NEED NEED HIM NEEDED HIM SIGNED FOR JIM COHEN, THE OWNER OF YINZERS IN THE BURG. THIS MEANS STOCKING UP HIS STRIP DISTRICT SHOPS WITH EVEN MORE WATT GEAR NOW THAT HE SIGNED. YOU KNOW, WE’RE WE’RE REALLY READY TO TO MAKE A MOVE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE TO ORDER OUR MERCHANDISE A YEAR AHEAD OF TIME. NOW, COHEN SAYS, WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE SELLING PLAYER IN HIS STORE COVERING ALLEG
Pittsburgh fans react as TJ Watt, Steelers reach deal on massive new contract
Updated: 12:13 AM EDT Jul 18, 2025
Fans of Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt will get to cheer on the star player for another four seasons.“We love T.J. Watt. He’s like a Pittsburgher at heart. I think he deserves every penny,” said Steelers fan Billy Jenkins.Watt scored a $123 million, three-year extension – a deal that includes $108 million guaranteed, according to ESPN reports. The average annual salary of $41 million is $1 million more than Cleveland’s Myles Garrett.“I think everybody anticipated once Garrett’s deal got done that T.J.’s deal was going to go at least one step higher,” said Greg Diulus, a sports attorney with Milk & Honey Sports.“I think it makes sense. I think they did right by him, especially depending who you ask. He’s the best defensive player in football and probably has been in the last five years,” said Jon Michael DeLorenzo, of Reserve Township.The deal was reportedly months in the making, and comes before Watt’s final season on the contract he signed in 2021.Fans of the black and gold are counting it as a win for the team, too.”I think he brings the tenacity that we haven’t seen in a long time,” Jenkins said. “He reminds me of Troy (Polamalu). He reminds me of older players. You can see that he works so hard on every play.”“You don’t want to head into training camp worrying about the best player on the team signing a contract. We definitely needed him signed,” said Jim Coen, owner of Yinzers in the Burgh.For Coen, the news means stocking up his Strip District shops with more Watt gear.“He, right now, is our No. 1 selling player,” Coen said.
PITTSBURGH —
Fans of Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt will get to cheer on the star player for another four seasons.
“We love T.J. Watt. He’s like a Pittsburgher at heart. I think he deserves every penny,” said Steelers fan Billy Jenkins.
Watt scored a $123 million, three-year extension – a deal that includes $108 million guaranteed, according to ESPN reports. The average annual salary of $41 million is $1 million more than Cleveland’s Myles Garrett.
“I think everybody anticipated once Garrett’s deal got done that T.J.’s deal was going to go at least one step higher,” said Greg Diulus, a sports attorney with Milk & Honey Sports.
“I think it makes sense. I think they did right by him, especially depending who you ask. He’s the best defensive player in football and probably has been in the last five years,” said Jon Michael DeLorenzo, of Reserve Township.
The deal was reportedly months in the making, and comes before Watt’s final season on the contract he signed in 2021.
Fans of the black and gold are counting it as a win for the team, too.
“I think he brings the tenacity that we haven’t seen in a long time,” Jenkins said. “He reminds me of Troy (Polamalu). He reminds me of older players. You can see that he works so hard on every play.”
“You don’t want to head into training camp worrying about the best player on the team signing a contract. We definitely needed him signed,” said Jim Coen, owner of Yinzers in the Burgh.
For Coen, the news means stocking up his Strip District shops with more Watt gear.
“He, right now, is our No. 1 selling player,” Coen said.