T.j. Watt - Pro Football Rumors

Largest 2023 Cap Hits: Defense

July 12th, 2023 at 9:52am CST by Sam Robinson

While the NFL’s top 2023 cap hits go to players on offense, a number of pass rushers are tied to lofty figures as well. None check in higher than Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

Williams and Chiefs D-tackle Chris Jones carry high contract-year cap hits, while the Steelers’ two front-seven cornerstones each are set to go into training camp with cap figures north of $20MM. As the salary cap climbed to $224.8MM this year, here are the top defensive cap figures as camps near:

Leonard Williams, DL (Giants): $32.26MM
T.J. Watt, OLB (Steelers): $29.37MM
Myles Garrett, DE (Browns): $29.18MM
Chris Jones, DT (Chiefs): $28.29MM
Aaron Donald, DL (Rams): $26MM
Arik Armstead, DT (49ers): $23.95MM
Cameron Heyward, DL (Steelers): $22.26MM
C.J. Mosley, LB (Jets): $21.48MM
Jonathan Allen, DT (Commanders): $21.44MM
Shaquil Barrett, OLB (Buccaneers): $21.25MM
Grady Jarrett, DT (Falcons): $20.63MM
Marlon Humphrey, CB (Ravens): $19.99MM
Shaquille Leonard, LB (Colts): $19.79MM
Kevin Byard, S (Titans): $19.62MM
Adoree’ Jackson, CB (Giants): $19.08MM
Harold Landry, OLB (Titans): $18.8MM
Justin Simmons, S (Broncos): $18.15MM
Jamal Adams, S (Seahawks): $18.11MM
Matt Judon, DE (Patriots): $18.107MM
Quandre Diggs, S (Seahawks): $18.1MM
Nick Bosa, DE (49ers): $17.9MM
DeForest Buckner, DT (Colts): $17.25MM
Emmanuel Ogbah, DE (Dolphins): $17.19MM
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE (Cowboys): $17.11MM
Eddie Jackson, S (Bears): $17.1MM

The Chiefs are working toward a second extension agreement with Jones, who is in the final season of a four-year, $80MM contract. A new deal with the star inside pass rusher would free up cap space, and DeAndre Hopkins is believed to be monitoring this situation.

As for Williams, the Giants had wanted to adjust his deal to reduce his eye-opening cap number. As of mid-June, however, no extension appeared to be on the team’s radar. The previous Giants regime signed off on the 2021 Williams extension (three years, $63MM). The Giants are also uninterested — for the time being, at least — in extending Jackson, who was also a Dave Gettleman-era defensive addition.

Donald is in the second season of a three-year, $95MM deal. The Rams gave Donald a landmark raise last year, convincing the all-everything D-tackle to squash retirement talk. A no-trade clause exists in Donald’s contract, which pays out its guarantees this year. Mosley remains tied to the $17MM-per-year deal the Mike Maccagnan regime authorized with the Jets. That contract, which reset the off-ball linebacker market in 2019, still has two seasons remaining on it due to the deal tolling after Mosley’s 2020 COVID-19 opt-out call. The Jets restructured the deal last year.

Washington now has two D-tackles tied to deals of at least $18MM per year. While Daron Payne‘s pact is worth more ($22.5MM AAV), higher cap hits on that deal will come down the road. Three years remain on Allen’s 2021 agreement. At safety, no team is spending like the Seahawks. In addition to the big-ticket deals authorized for Adams and Diggs, Seattle gave ex-Giants starter Julian Love a two-year, $6MM accord in March.

New Titans GM Ran Carthon attempted to give Byard a pay cut. That request did not go over well, but the standout safety remains with the team and has not requested a trade. Tennessee re-signed Landry on a five-year, $87.5MM deal in 2022; the veteran edge rusher has yet to play on that deal due to the ACL tear he sustained just before last season.

The 49ers can bring Bosa’s number down via an extension, which has long been on the team’s docket. As San Francisco extended Deebo Samuel just after training camp began last year, Bosa received back-burner treatment due to the fifth-year option. The star defensive end’s price undoubtedly went up during the waiting period, with the former No. 2 overall pick earning Defensive Player of the Year acclaim in the fourth year of his rookie contract.

J.J. Watt Contemplated Joining Steelers In 2021

July 9th, 2023 at 2:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

J.J. Watt is set to join CBS as a broadcaster this season to begin his next football chapter, but the future Hall of Famer recently reflected on his free agency in 2021. That process nearly resulted in a deal which would have allowed him to team up with his brothers in Pittsburgh.

Watt was one of the league’s most high-profile free agents that offseason, with his historic Texans tenure having come to an end. A Steelers accord would have allowed J.J. to play with fullback Derek Watt and fellow edge rusher T.J. Watt. The latter inked a monster extension that year, though, averaging $28MM per season (the highest AAV ever given to a pass rusher, and the still the second-highest figure amongst all NFL defenders to this day). The elder Watt was hesitant to have his own free agency interfere with the Steelers’ extension for T.J.

“They were on the list,” Watt said of the Steelers when reflecting on his decision-making process (Twitter link). “It certainly would have been awesome to play with my brothers, but T.J. was also going through the contract situation there, so the last thing I wanted to do was come in and take any money away from his contract.”

In the end, J.J. Watt inked a two-year deal with the Cardinals and he finished his career in Arizona. Returning to full health, he remained highly productive with 12.5 sacks on the year. Rather than extending his career in another new home, however, he elected to go out on a personal high note and hang up his cleats.

The Steelers have certainly not been short on edge production during T.J. Watt’s tenure, though adding his brother to the mix would have given the team even more firepower in that regard. Instead, the past two seasons in particular have seen Alex Highsmith emerge as not only a bonafide starter, but a pass rusher due a substantial raise on a new Steelers deal. Talks on the extension front are ongoing, but mutual interest exists to get a contract worked out this summer, perhaps as early as training camp later this month.

Provided Highsmith is on the books beyond 2023 when the new season kicks off, Pittsburgh will remain in good hands in the pass-rushing department for years to come. The prospect of J.J. Watt finishing his career as a Steeler is certainly one which will lead to what if-type questions being asked now and in the future, though.

Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick Out With Appendicitis; OLB T.J. Watt Activated

November 12th, 2022 at 6:00pm CST by Ely Allen

6:00pm: After undergoing an appendectomy to deal with the appendicitis Fitzpatrick suffered through in walkthroughs today, the two-time All-Pro safety is expected to miss multiple weeks in recovery, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Steelers will want Fitzpatrick back on the field as soon as possible, but typically, appendectomies have resulted in missing more than one week. Schefter points at the most recent major player to undergo the procedure as an example. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow underwent the surgery just before training camp and missed two-and-a-half weeks.

A similar-length absence would see Fitzpatrick miss tomorrow’s game and next weekend’s matchup vs the Bengals. An extra day means that he could return in time for the team’s Monday night game in Indianapolis the week after, but that’s an extremely optimistic timeline.

Behind Norwood, whom we mentioned below as the likely replacement, Pittsburgh recently returned Damontae Kazee from IR. They’ll also have Miles Killebrew and the practice squad elevation, Riley.

2:09pm: The Steelers have been looking forward to the return of star pass rusher T.J. Watt from injured reserve this week but are now expected to be without safety Minkah Fitzpatrick who is reportedly dealing with appendicitis, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The team has also officially activated Watt from IR and placed cornerback William Jackson III on IR.

Fitzpatrick is set to miss his first game of the season and just the second game of his career. Despite the team’s struggles this year, Fitzpatrick has maintained a high level of play. He has been all over the defensive backfield this year racking up six passes defensed along with three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. Being only halfway through the season, Fitzpatrick is on track for career highs in both numbers, assuming he can make a quick return from his appendicitis.

In the lone game Fitzpatrick has missed before this, which occurred last season, the Steelers started then-rookie seventh-round pick Tre Norwood in his place. Norwood had already made two starts at the time, being one of the first defensive backs off the bench in packages that called for five or six defensive backs, but that was his first game playing 100% of the team’s defensive snaps and playing specifically in Fitzpatrick’s role. The Steelers’ pass defense struggled that day in a loss to the Chargers in which quarterback Justin Herbert passed for nearly 400 yards. It’s hard to blame the loss on Norwood’s stand-in performance, but considering the Steelers finished 2021 as a top-10 passing defense, one can infer some importance concerning Fitzpatrick’s absence. This year, Norwood started in place of an injured Terrell Edmunds in a Week 5 matchup against the Bills. Again, correlation does not exactly equal causation, but the team’s pass defense once again struggled as quarterback Josh Allen passed for 424 yards and four touchdowns on only 20 completions.

The return of Watt should be heralded in the Steel City as a giant addition to the defense. Outside of outside linebacker Alex Highsmith and defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, the Steelers have struggled to produce an effective pass rush. Pittsburgh will gladly welcome pack their star defender who produced 22.5 sacks in only 15 games last season. Returning the reigning Defensive Player of the Year back to the field may not totally make up for the absence of Fitzpatrick, but it sure helps.

Jackson has yet to make his Steelers debut after being traded from the Commanders 11 days ago, and his debut will have to wait at least four more games after being placed on IR. Jackson had already missed the past three games for Washington while dealing with a back injury. Even though the season is only half over, the Steelers are far enough back in the division race that there is no sense in rushing Jackson to return from a back injury before he’s ready.

Lastly, in response to Fitzpatrick’s absence, the Steelers have elevated safety Elijah Riley from the practice squad for this weekend’s game against the Saints.

T.J. Watt Planning To Play In Week 10

November 11th, 2022 at 12:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having identified Week 10 as the T.J. Watt return point for a bit now, the Steelers have not seen anything interfere with that plan. Watt said Friday he will play against the Saints on Sunday.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year does not expect to be on a snap count, via The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo (on Twitter). Watt has been out since Week 1. A pectoral injury initially caused this hiatus, but Watt underwent knee surgery during his chest recovery. That lengthened the timetable.

Pittsburgh is in danger of its first sub-.500 season since 2003. The team is 1-6 without Watt, who entered the season having never missed more than two games in an NFL campaign previously. Only one Steelers edge rusher (Alex Highsmith) has more than one sack this season. Watt tallied a sack during his abbreviated opener, but Highsmith (team-high 6.5) has not received too much help from the team’s Watt-less outside linebacker contingent.

Watt, 28, is coming off a season in which he tied Michael Strahan‘s official sack record with 22.5, getting there in just 15 games. This season is the first on the four-year, $112MM extension Watt signed just before the start of the 2021 campaign. Watt’s streak of three straight first-team All-Pro honors will come to an end this year, but the Steelers can certainly benefit from their pass-rushing anchor returning.

The Steelers activated safety Damontae Kazee from IR on Thursday, but Watt will only be the team’s second IR activation this year. Pittsburgh let fourth-round pick Calvin Austin‘s IR-return window close without an activation; the fourth-round rookie wideout is now on season-ending IR. Watt’s window would close Nov. 16.

The Steelers gave the star edge defender nearly the full return window to prepare for his return. Despite pectoral injuries often leading to season-ending injuries, Watt avoided surgery and has gone through multiple weeks of practice. It will be interesting to see what kind of boost the former first-rounder can provide to a team that ranks 29th in total defense.

Steelers Still Eyeing Week 10 T.J. Watt Return

November 4th, 2022 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

Last week, the Steelers opened the IR-return window on T.J. Watt, leading to questions of when they would envision his return. Despite this Sunday marking the second week in which the defending Defensive Player of the Year could be activated, that remains unlikely to happen.

Watt has been sidelined since suffering a major pectoral injury in Week 1. The fact that he was able to rehab it left the door open to a return at some point in the season, but it came as no surprise that he was placed on IR. His timeline to see the field was pushed back, however, when he underwent knee surgery just under one month ago.

Given Pittsburgh’s struggles this year, along with Watt’s crucial importance to the team, the Steelers have remained understandably cautious with him. Indeed, as confirmed by Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Week 10 has always remained the target with respect to Watt’s return (Twitter link). That contest against the Saints would be the last opportunity for Watt to be activated; if he fails to return by next week, he will be out for the remainder of the season.

While Pittsburgh sits at 2-6, leaving their chances of a postseason berth – or, at a minimum, extending their streak of never having a losing season during the Mike Tomlin era – in serious doubt, Watt returning to the fold would of course be a welcomed sight. In his absence, the team ranks 21st in the league with 15 sacks, a far cry from their normal position in that regard during the 28-year-old’s standout career.

The Steelers are on their bye this week, which gives both Watt and safety Damontae Kazee time to ease back into game shape. While November 13 will be the team’s first contest since trading away Chase Claypool in a significant move on offense, then, it should also see a pair of important defenders make their return to the field.

Steelers Designate OLB T.J. Watt For Return; WR Calvin Austin’s IR-Return Window Closes

October 26th, 2022 at 3:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

T.J. Watt has run into multiple injuries since the season began. A pectoral issue in Week 1 initially put the reigning Defensive Player of the Year’s season in jeopardy, and a subsequent knee surgery lengthened his recovery timetable. But Watt took another step on the road back Wednesday.

The Steelers opened Watt’s practice window, designating him to return from IR. Pittsburgh has three weeks to activate Watt. Not doing so would result in the perennial All-Pro missing the rest of the season.

The latter outcome will take place for Calvin Austin. Pittsburgh has let the fourth-round rookie’s designated-for-return window close without an activation. Austin sustained a foot injury in August, and the Steelers will give him a full season to heal. He reverts to season-ending IR.

Hopes of a potential Week 6 Watt return ended up being too optimistic, with the knee surgery changing his recovery outlook. But Watt returning to practice now will be a nice benefit to the Steelers. The team has a Week 9 bye, so it would not surprise if Watt is held out until Week 10. But the sixth-year outside linebacker can be activated at any point in the next three weeks. The Steelers have not used any of their injury activations yet. Austin’s shutdown increases Pittsburgh’s flexibility over the season’s final three months.

Watt, 28, is building a Hall of Fame resume. While he may not have solidified first-ballot Canton status like J.J. Watt just yet, the youngest of the NFL’s Watt brothers has earned first-team All-Pro recognition in each of the past three seasons. T.J.’s 52 sacks from 2019-21 are on another level from the rest of the league; Aaron Donald‘s 38.5 sit second in that span.

A Ravens draft target as well, Austin totaled back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons at Memphis. The Steelers, who have established a long-running track record of wide receiver development, took Austin despite drafting George Pickens two rounds earlier. While Wednesday’s news represents a setback, the 162-pound rookie’s progress in Pittsburgh’s offense will be worth monitoring in 2023.

Steelers’ T.J. Watt Undergoes Knee Surgery

October 8th, 2022 at 9:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers will likely have to wait longer for the return of their top defender. Edge rusher T.J. Watt recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor and Adam Schefter.

Watt has been sidelined since suffering a torn pectoral muscle in the season opener. The fact that he was able to rehab the injury left him available to return at some point in the season. That time was expected to be Week 6, but this knee procedure will likely cause him to miss at least one or two more weeks.

The surgery was aimed at cleaning up an injury the reigning Defensive Player of the Year suffered during the preseason. Given the delay it will likely cause, his ability to return before the team’s Week 9 bye is now very much in doubt. To no surprise, the Steelers will be particularly cautious with respect to his rehab, per the report.

Watt has been instrumental to Pittsburgh’s success throughout his career. The team has lost all seven of the games they have played with him sidelined due to injury, including each of the last three contests in 2022. In his absence, Alex Highsmith and Malik Reed will continue to be leaned on as starters at the position, one which has contributed to the fact that Pittsburgh has only recorded three sacks since Week 1.

The Steelers’ decision to hand the role of starting quarterback to first-round rookie Kenny Pickett will be the dominant storyline tomorrow afternoon when they take on the Bills. Even if they pull off the upset and improve to 2-3, however, they will likely remain without the most important member of their defense for several weeks to come.

Steelers Hoping T.J. Watt Can Return Week 6

October 6th, 2022 at 10:54pm CST by Ben Levine

T.J. Watt‘s return should be coming sooner than later, and it sounds like the organization is targeting a specific return date. According to Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, the Steelers are optimistic that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year could be back on the field for Week 6 against the Buccaneers.

This is the earliest possible date for Watt’s return after the Steelers placed him on injured reserve in mid-September. When Watt first suffered his injury, it was uncertain if he’d even be able to return this season. We later learned that his pectoral injury wasn’t as severe as initially believed, but it wasn’t a slam dunk that he’d be good to go after only four weeks on IR. Ultimately, it sounds like he’s speeding toward that lofty target, and for what it’s worth, La Canfora writes that Watt has been pushing to return as soon as possible.

Watt suffered the injury in Week 1 after collecting six tackles, three tackles for loss, and an interception. He had 72 sacks through his first five seasons with Pittsburgh, including 37.5 sacks over the past two years alone. The Steelers haven’t won since losing Watt to injury, losing each of their past three games after winning the season opener.

Since Watt went down with his injury, Alex Highsmith has stepped up as the team’s top pass rusher, collecting 5.5 sacks through four games. Malik Reed has also seen an uptick in snaps, culminating in him earning two straight starts. Reed collected 13 sacks for Denver between 2020 and 2021, so the Steelers will be eyeing some significant pass-rushing depth once their top guy returns to the lineup.

Steelers To Place T.J. Watt On IR

September 15th, 2022 at 9:00am CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers received good news earlier this week on the T.J. Watt front. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year avoided season-ending pectoral surgery. Watt’s chest injury will still keep him out for a while, however.

Although this has not become official yet, ESPN.com’s Field Yates notes Watt will be placed on IR (Twitter link). Pittsburgh is also signing outside linebacker David Anenih off Tennessee’s practice squad. These moves are now official.

An IR placement ahead of Week 2 means Watt’s return window would open in Week 6. It is not yet certain the accomplished pass rusher can hit that mark, the Watt family’s success at rehabbing injuries notwithstanding. But the sixth-year veteran could make it back in as early as five weeks. While the Steelers could be cautious with their top player, Watt returning before the midseason point represents a vast status improvement compared to where this situation appeared headed after he left the team’s opener.

Anenih will be the latest Steelers outside linebacker hire for a Steelers team that has turned this group over in recent weeks. Alex Highsmith now becomes the team’s top healthy edge, but his supporting cast looks vastly different compared to its August complexion.

Three-year Broncos fill-in starter Malik Reed will take on that role for the Steelers, being acquired for just a 2023 seventh-round pick. The Steelers also claimed Jamir Jones off waivers from the Jaguars earlier this month. Former second-round Washington pick Ryan Anderson — who was not with a team last season — is now on Pittsburgh’s practice squad. Third-year outside ‘backer Delontae Scott joins Anderson on Pittsburgh’s P-squad, but the team has otherwise overhauled its set of backup edge defenders.

Anenih is a rookie UDFA out of Houston who was one of many current NFL rookies — Kenny Pickett among them — to enter the league after using the fifth year of eligibility the NCAA allowed after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Anenih totaled a career-best 10 tackles for loss to go along with five sacks. During his five-year Cougars career, Anenih tallied 20.5 sacks. The Titans allowed Anenih to leave, rather than promote him to their active roster. That is a somewhat interesting move considering the team recently lost top edge rusher Harold Landry for the season.

The Steelers will face the Patriots, Browns, Jets and Bills without Watt. Three more games — against the Buccaneers, Dolphins and Eagles — come before the team’s Week 9 bye. Watt’s new timetable would point to that stretch being his activation window.

AFC Injury Notes: Ravens, Watt, Bengals

September 14th, 2022 at 9:14pm CST by Ben Levine

J.K. Dobbins returned to practice today, with the running back hoping to make his long-awaited return to the field this Sunday. The Ravens running back admitted that his injury “wasn’t just a normal ACL,” with Dobbins explaining that he tore his ACL, LCL, hamstring, and meniscus at the end of the 2021 preseason (per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley on Twitter). It’s been just over a year since Dobbins suffered his injury.

“It would mean the world to me if I can go out there this Sunday and play well in front of a full house,” Dobbins said (via Hensley).

Fellow running back Gus Edwards also missed the entire 2021 season with a torn ACL, but thanks to his placement on PUP, he’ll have to sit out the first four games of the season. Still, Edwards took to Instagram to tell fans that he continues to progress in his recovery and eventual return to the field.

“For everybody wondering about my recovery I’m doing great and I’m very close,” Edwards wrote.

More injury notes from around the AFC…

The news keeps getting better for T.J. Watt and the Steelers. The star linebacker could recover from his partially torn pectoral muscle within five weeks, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com. There was initial fear that Watt had completely torn his pec, which would have ended his season. The news quickly got better; we learned yesterday that Watt wouldn’t need surgery and could be back within six weeks.
Bengals long snapper Clark Harris is expected to miss an extended amount of time after tearing his biceps, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). While Zac Taylor didn’t want to rule out the LS for the season, he did acknowledge that the 38-year-old will miss at least a few months (via ESPN’s Ben Baby on Twitter). Harris, a one-time Pro Bowler, has been with the organization since 2009. Cal Adomitis will get the first shot to replace Harris at long snapper.
J.C. Jackson has been listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Chiefs, and Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said earlier this week that the cornerback has a “50-50” shot at playing (per NFL Network’s James Palmer on Twitter). Jackson previously suffered an ankle injury that forced him to miss the team’s Week 1 victory over the Raiders. After earning a second-team All-Pro nod with the Patriots in 2021, Jackson joined Los Angeles this offseason on a five-year, $82.5MM deal. Meanwhile, both Chargers wideout Keenan Allen (hamstring) and Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker (ankle) have been ruled out for Thursday’s showdown.
Mac Jones dealt with back spasms following the Patriots‘ Week 1 loss to the Dolphins, but the quarterback continues to improve, according to NFL Network’s Mike Giardi (on Twitter). A source told Giardi that the QB is “doing everything he needs to” in order to be on the field for this weekend’s matchup against the Steelers. Jones and the Patriots offense struggled during the season opener, with the second-year QB guiding New England to only one touchdown.