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The story of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ training camp this season was whether or not a deal with All-Pro edge rusher TJ Watt would get done. As we all know, the deal did get done just before Week 1. Once this was done, there was a lot of buzz of course. One of the biggest aspects surrounding the signing was the rumor that Watt was the one who finally said enough was enough to his agents and it was time to take what the team was offering.
This was met with a lot of speculation whether it actually happened or not. The rumor was he walked into the office of team owner Art Rooney II and personally said they had a deal, and then went to go work out. Now we don’t know if all of that transpired, but on Friday afternoon, Watt went on the Rich Eisen Show and confirmed he did indeed make the call that he was ready to sign and for negotiations to end.
He was asked by Eisen what he felt his role was on the team. Watt said he feels he tries to be a playmaker, provide any and all splash plays, and give it his all every day and every game. Shortly after that, Eisen asked him if it was true that he was the one who had the final say with the contract agreement. Here’s what TJ had to say:
The full interview can be seen here:
Hearing this from Watt himself just cemented everything Steeler Nation thought about Watt already. He is exactly the kind of guy this team needs and who you want to be the cornerstone for your defense and organization. You don’t often hear of players doing something like this, and the fact that it’s confirmed he did indeed close on the deal himself is music to our ears.
Now, this wasn’t your everyday NFL deal. Watt signed a 4-year $112 million dollar contract. It made him the highest paid defensive player in the league, while also including $80 million in guarantees. The guarantees was the biggest hurdle, as Pittsburgh is known for being stringent with how they do business in that regard. They broke that model for Watt, showing their confidence in him.
Watt has continued to show why he was worth that capital. So far this season through 6 games played, Watt has amassed 8.5 sacks, 8 TFL, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 passes defended. I’d say he is living up to his description as a playmaker.
Watt will look to continue his run of dominance as one of, if not the top defensive player in the league. Not just for this year, but more to come.
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
This was met with a lot of speculation whether it actually happened or not. The rumor was he walked into the office of team owner Art Rooney II and personally said they had a deal, and then went to go work out. Now we don’t know if all of that transpired, but on Friday afternoon, Watt went on the Rich Eisen Show and confirmed he did indeed make the call that he was ready to sign and for negotiations to end.
He was asked by Eisen what he felt his role was on the team. Watt said he feels he tries to be a playmaker, provide any and all splash plays, and give it his all every day and every game. Shortly after that, Eisen asked him if it was true that he was the one who had the final say with the contract agreement. Here’s what TJ had to say:
The full interview can be seen here:
Hearing this from Watt himself just cemented everything Steeler Nation thought about Watt already. He is exactly the kind of guy this team needs and who you want to be the cornerstone for your defense and organization. You don’t often hear of players doing something like this, and the fact that it’s confirmed he did indeed close on the deal himself is music to our ears.
Now, this wasn’t your everyday NFL deal. Watt signed a 4-year $112 million dollar contract. It made him the highest paid defensive player in the league, while also including $80 million in guarantees. The guarantees was the biggest hurdle, as Pittsburgh is known for being stringent with how they do business in that regard. They broke that model for Watt, showing their confidence in him.
Watt has continued to show why he was worth that capital. So far this season through 6 games played, Watt has amassed 8.5 sacks, 8 TFL, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 passes defended. I’d say he is living up to his description as a playmaker.
Watt will look to continue his run of dominance as one of, if not the top defensive player in the league. Not just for this year, but more to come.
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..