T.J. Watt Has Just Seven Sacks, And His $125 Million Contract Is Already Being Called One of the NFL's Worst

Alright, Emerald City, listen up! You know we bleed blue and green, but sometimes you gotta look at what's happening out there in the league to really appreciate our grind. And right now, Pittsburgh, the Steel City, is getting absolutely dunked on for some truly bonkers money decisions, especially on defense. We're talking about a unit that's already set to be the priciest in the entire NFL for 2026, and the biggest head-scratcher? T.J. Watt's absolutely gargantuan deal, which just got slammed as one of the 10 worst contracts in the entire league! You heard that right. This is wild.

T.J. Watt's Monster Contract Is Looking Rough

So, here's the deal: T.J. Watt, a guy who used to terrorize quarterbacks, is playing on a three-year, $125 million contract. And get this, a mind-blowing $108 million of that is guaranteed! You'd expect a player with that kind of money to be absolutely dominating, right? But the Steelers actually signed Watt to this massive deal right after a season where he only managed to put up seven sacks. Seven! For a guy who had double-digit sacks in seven of the eight seasons before that one, it's a huge drop-off. He looked like a shell of his former self, and now Pittsburgh is on the hook for a fortune. That's a serious headache for their front office and for Steelers fans everywhere.

The Steelers' Pricey Linebacking Corps Is No Joke

But wait, there's more to this defensive spending spree! It's not just Watt who's got the Steelers bleeding cash. They've also thrown a massive investment into the outside linebacker position across the board. Take Nick Herbig, for instance. The Steelers handed this backup edge defender a four-year, $100 million contract this offseason! A hundred million for a guy who has never even played a full season as a starter. Talk about a gamble! When you combine these moves, the Steelers have already committed $83 million in salary cap to these specific high-priced players for 2027 alone. That is some serious coin locked up, and it's all riding on their new defensive coordinator. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has a mountain to climb, for real. He needs to find a way to get Watt back on track, back to being the double-digit sack monster we all used to fear. Because if he doesn't, this whole thing, from Watt's monster deal to the overall spend on that D-line, is gonna be remembered as one of the absolute worst front office screw-ups in Steelers history. Keep your eyes peeled, 12s, because this is a masterclass in how *not* to build a defense!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.