The edge rusher market has ballooned.
The value of the NFL’s best players just keeps rising, and the Watt family has seen it firsthand.
Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history on July 17, signing a three-year, $123 million extension with the Steelers. A former Defensive Player of the Year and four-time first-team All-Pro, it was the expected market value for a player of his caliber, even at 30 years old.
But as CBS Sports pointed out in a graphic that same day, Watt’s third NFL contract alone is nearly worth the same as his brother J.J. Watt’s career earnings over 12 years in the league.
“I swear, if this guy even lets me begin to reach for my wallet at dinner…” quipped the elder Watt on X, formerly known as Twitter.
I swear, if this guy even lets me begin to reach for my wallet at dinner… https://t.co/R52TsWBgYP
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 17, 2025
J.J. Watt was an elite defender himself, earning a whopping three Defensive Player of the Year awards and five first-team All-Pros over his career. His biggest contract came in 2014: a six-year, $100 million extension from the Texans ahead of his age-24 season with $51.8 million guaranteed.
At the time, his guaranteed money and average yearly salary, $16.6 million, were the highest for a defender in league history. Now, both numbers are less than half of what T.J. Watt received in his 30s.
Of course, the salary cap has grown since 2014. It was $133 million then, per Spotrac — now, it’s more than doubled to $279.2 million in 2025.
The value of the edge rusher position has increased as well, though. J.J. Watt’s biggest-ever salary cap percentage was 9.6% in 2015, per Over the Cap. T.J. Watt’s will be 14.2% in 2026.