T.J. Watt isn't getting any younger. The Pittsburgh Steelers ' all-time sack leader doesn't have a contract that's getting any cheaper soon, either.
"If I looked at anybody else and looked at this contract, I might say the organization messed up a little bit, but I think the Steelers did right by T.J.," former Steelers offensive tackle Trai Essex said Wednesday on "The Snap Count" podcast.
Watt will make $32 million this upcoming season after notching just seven sacks a campaign ago. He signed the three-year, $123 million extension last July.
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt in a game against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 2, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
"I still don't think the Steelers messed up," Essex said. "Because I think T.J. Watt might be one of those players that might rebound. Now, you don't think that about most defensive players when they're (turning 32) … especially when their numbers have been declining as much as T.J. has, but with T.J. having the type of game that he has, the type of style that he plays with, he's not overly physical. He's not trying to bull rush you or hump you every time. He is a finesse — so to speak — player.
"I think he has one of those games, as an outside linebacker, that could age well in the NFL, and that he can have a rebound year and bounce back and have big sack numbers. If I had to compare him to the NBA, he's like the Steph Curry of outside linebackers."
That, of course, could be music to Steelers fans ears. Curry and the Golden State Warriors won the NBA Finals in 2022.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Why Is T.J. Watt NFL's Version of Steph Curry? Former Steelers OL Explains
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