Contract for Pittsburgh Steelers star named one of NFL’s worst originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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It has been less than a full calendar year since star linebacker T.J. Watt signed a 3-year, $123 million extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the deal is already being labeled as one of the worst in the entire NFL.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently ranked the 10 worst current contracts in the NFL, and Watt’s came in at No. 5.
T.J. Watt’s contract with Steelers ranked as one of the worst in NFL
Gagnon cited Watt’s advancing age and declining production combined with the high sticker price of his contract as rationale for his inclusion.
“The 31-year-old’s sack numbers have plummeted from 19 in 2023 to 11.5 in 2024 to seven in 2025. This was his first relatively full non-All-Pro season since 2018, indicating that a decline is well underway,” Gagnon wrote.
“Even if the Steelers move on after the 2027 campaign, Watt will have cost the team $94 million in salary and dead-cap charges for just two seasons of work.”
This story will be updated.
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