One year into T.J. Watt’s record-setting deal, the returns aren’t promising. It was arguably the most disappointing season of his career. Watt will aim to fight father time and improve his play – and production – as he nears his mid-30s. PPG writer Ray Fittipaldo makes the case of how it could happen.
“If he bounces back and is the old T.J. Watt at 32,” Fittipaldo told 93.7 The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller Thursday evening. “And I’m not talking about 22 sacks, I’m talking about 13, 14, 15 sacks, I think that contract will look a lot better.”
Watt managed just seven sacks last year. Missing three games after a freak lung injury was only one reason for the statistical dip. Even before the incident, Watt recorded more than one sack in just one game and went six without any. His run defense remained strong, and he forced three fumbles with two interceptions. But the Steelers’ aim is for him to record sacks in the teens through the bulk of his extension.
Turning 32 by the end of the 2026 season, history is working against Watt. Since 2014, only one player age 32 or older recorded 13-plus sacks in a single season; in 2023, Khalil Mack notched 17.
But Watt isn’t easily to count out. Hungry and perhaps refreshed with a new defensive scheme that does things differently, a healthy year from Watt could bring big results. Even if Watt doesn’t return to his Defensive Player of the Year self, Fittipaldo thinks his contract will look better in time.
“The salary cap went up by what, $20 or $25 million?” he said. “In two years, that $42 million a year, it’s not gonna be as bad as it is right now.”
The annual salary cap has been increasing every year since the 2021 COVID retraction. Projections put the cap over $300 million for 2026, with the official number to be released in less than one month. While Watt’s cap charge is large, teams view the numbers as a percentage of the cap, not the raw figure. The more the cap rises, the smaller that percentage becomes, and the more palatable the contract becomes.
Still, the Steelers need him to produce. Watt didn’t reset the market to post seven sacks. For the contract to pay off no matter the lens through which it’s viewed, he’ll need a 2026 season that looks closer to his 2023 campaign. Or Pittsburgh will come to regret its deal.