Steelers face brutal T.J. Watt reality ahead of 2026 NFL season

The Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping edge rusher T.J. Watt can turn in a bounce-back season in 2026.

Though Watt earned his eighth straight Pro Bowl selection in 2025 and still tallied seven sacks in 14 games, the four-time first-team All-Pro selection didn't look as dominant as he usually does.

Since a 19-sack campaign in 2023, Watt's sack numbers have dipped every year since, and this decline in production has led Pittsburgh to face a brutal reality regarding their legendary pass rusher.

Watt's contract named one of the worst in the NFL

In a Bleacher Report article by Brad Gagnon detailing the worst contracts in the NFL, Watt's mega three-year extension worth $123 million with $108 million guaranteed came in at No. 5 on the list.

Watt signed this deal just before training camp last offseason, and the contract hasn't aged well so far.

"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," Gagnon wrote. "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."

Watt can still be an impactful player for the Steelers, but he's in the upper echelon of edge rusher contracts, and the Wisconsin product was far from elite last year.

If Watt is unable to return to form this season and continues to decline, Pittsburgh would likely want to move on from the future Hall of Famer as soon as next offseason, but it would be tough. His trade interest would be minimal due to his deal, and cutting him next offseason wouldn't save the Steelers any money.

Pittsburgh could be trapped with Watt's contract until he hits free agency in 2029, and that wouldn't be ideal, given that it looks like his best days are behind him.