Watt signed to a new five-year contract

The Steelers signed linebacker T.J. Watt to a new five-year contract, keeping him in the black and gold long-lasting.

A dominant force on the protection, Watt was elected the Steelers The majority of Prized possession Player the last two periods.

Watt, the group’s No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, has left to a remarkable start in his very first 4 seasons.

Watt has actually started all 62 games he has actually played in. He has 49.5 sacks, which places as one of the most in franchise background over a player’s first four NFL seasons. His 49.5 sacks rate 3rd among all protective gamers because he got in the NFL in 2017. He also has 230 takes on (168 solo), 25 pass defenses, 17 required fumbles, four fumble recoveries and four interceptions.

Watt had his best year yet in 2020. In enhancement to being elected group MVP, he was chosen first-team Associated Press All-Pro, elected to the Pro Bowl, was voted 101 Honors AFC Defensive Gamer of the Year and won the Deacon Jones Honor. Watt led the NFL in sacks with a career-high 15, quarterback strikes with 41 and also deals with for a loss with 23, while including seven pass defenses, two forced fumbles and also an interception.

Watt was solid all period, being called AFC Defensive Gamer of the Month twice, in September and also November.

He was called AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 2 efficiency versus the Denver Broncos. Watt had 2.5 sacks for a loss of 20 lawns, 4 quarterback hits and also 4 deals with. All of the sacks protested Jeff Driskel, who came in after Drew Lock left the game wounded.

He was called the AFC Defensive Gamer of the Month for September after dominating opposing offenses in 3 straight video games. Watt had 3 as well as a half sacks, 10 quarterback hits, 9 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 2 pass defenses as well as an interception for the month.

Watt was likewise called the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November, that included video games in Weeks 8-12, a stretch where the Steelers went 5-0, consisting of three AFC North wins, 2 over the Baltimore Ravens as well as one over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Watt had 19 deals with, consisting of 13 solo stops, 5 and also a half sacks, 17 quarterback hits, and three pass defenses in November. He had 2 video games with numerous sacks during the five-game stretch, consisting of the Bengals and also Ravens (Week 12) video games when he had two each.

In 2019, Watt was called AP First-Team All-Pro as an edge rusher, and junior varsity as a linebacker, after finishing the year with 14.5 sacks. He do with eight required fumbles, 2 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries and also 36 quarterback hits. He had multiple sack video games four times, consisting of 2 sacks versus both the Rams and Dolphins, as well as a sack and a fifty percent versus the Bengals as well as Colts. Along with being voted group MVP for the very first time in his career, he also was picked to the Pro Dish. Watt became the only NFL player considering that 2008 to contend least 14 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 36 quarterback hits, eight forced fumbles and also 4 fumble healings in a period. Watt is the initial gamer in Steelers history with 14 plus sacks in several seasons, doing so in 2019 and also 2020.

In 2018, Watt transferred to the left outside linebacker area as well as it paid returns for him. Watt led the Steelers’ protection as well as connected for 2nd among all NFL linebackers with 13 sacks. He was the only NFL player to complete the 2018 regular period with at least 65 total deals with (68 ), 10 sacks (13) and 5 defensive forced fumbles (6 ). He likewise played in his initial Pro Dish after being called a replacement.

Watt’s profession got off to a solid beginning when he videotaped 52 takes on, 39 of them solo quits and also completed third on the group with 7 sacks, second-most by a newbie in Steelers background. He finished the year with 12 quarterback pressures, eight passes defensed, an interception, compelled fumble as well as blocked basket. Watt was the only linebacker in the NFL to finish the routine season with 50 takes on (52 ), five sacks (seven), 5 passes defensed (8) as well as one interception (one).