Pairing T.J. Watt and J.J. Watt was the dream. For fans and for the brothers themselves. T.J. had already gotten to play with older brother Derek Watt, a fullback for three years in Pittsburgh, and had a chance to play with J.J. Had the Steelers not taken until the final hour to sign T.J. Watt to a long-term deal in 2021, it could’ve happened.
But prolonged negotiations proved to be the reason why J.J. Watt went to Arizona instead of Pittsburgh.
“He was in a contract situation,” J.J. Watt explained Thursday on The Pat McAfee Show. “I wasn’t gonna take away from that unless they got it done. And they did. They got it done later.”
Though a deal seemed inevitable, the record $112 million extension T.J. Watt signed that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league took months to finalize. Largely due to issues over guaranteed money past the first year, Pittsburgh finally breaking precedent for non-quarterbacks and offering it over the first three years of Watt’s deal.
The back and forth and posturing that even frustrated T.J. himself forced J.J. to explore other options. J.J. Watt signed with the Arizona Cardinals six months before his brother’s deal was finalized, inking a two-year, $28 million deal on March 1. Though it was possible Pittsburgh could’ve signed both Watts, J.J. didn’t want to take the chance of his deal making it harder for T.J. to get paid.
“They were negotiating his contract,” J.J. said. “I wasn’t going to come in and take any single dollar away from my brother and his contract negotiations.”
J.J. Watt spent two years in Arizona and proved he could still play at a high level. In 2022, he racked up 18 tackles for a loss and 12.5 sacks. Instead of re-signing or again entering free agency, where he could’ve signed with Pittsburgh, he chose to retire and spend more time with family. J.J. Watt has also embarked on a business career, investing in the Burnley FC. The only way an NFL return was happening was if his soccer team pitched a clean sheet the rest of the season, a streak that recently came to an end.
Brother T.J. remains a top pass rusher and is seeking another extension this offseason, one J.J. thinks should’ve happened a year ago.
T.J. and J.J. Watt won’t ever be Pittsburgh Steelers teammates. But they’ll link up in due time when they both are immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as two of the best defensive players of their era.
