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When defensive end J.J. Watt became a free agent, following the 2020 season, some thought he could potentially sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers and play on the opposite end of his brother, T.J.
J.J. Watt spoke about the possibly of joining the Steelers on "The Pat McAfee Show." Watt explained how he decided to not sign there, that way his brother could get paid big.
Watt said:
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"Free agency in itself is a full-blown conversation for another day, and there’s definitely stories from there that I’ll tell later. I mean, you gotta look at the situation at that time, too. TJ was up for a contract extension, and he hadn’t gotten it there yet, and we were talking there, and I always want him to get taken care of, so it was just a situation of I wanted him to get taken care of.”
This was another case of big brother looking out for little brother. If the older Watt had signed with Pittsburgh, they wouldn't have had enough to pay his younger brother what he was due.
The older Watt ultimately decided to sign with the Arizona Cardinals on a two-year $28 million worth up to $35 million.
T.J. Watt got paid and then won Defensive Player of The Year
While his brother J.J. Watt signed with the Cardinals, T.J. Watt got his monster extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers right before the start of the 2021 season. Watt inked a four-year deal worth over $112 million with $80 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL.
Before the contract, Watt was worth every dollar, and he proved to be this past season. In his first three seasons in the league, Watt recorded 59.5 sacks, 59 tackles for loss, four interceptions, 25 pass deflections, 17 forced fumbles, and four fumble receoveries.
This past season, after signing the contract that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league, he won Defensive Player of the Year. Watt tied the NFL sack record recording 22.5 sacks this past season - that alone is enough to win DPOY. He also recorded a career-high 21 tackles for loss, 39 QB-hits, seven pass defelctions, five forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
While both the Watt brothers would have been an insane duo on the defensive line, it worked out in T.J.'s favor as he became the highest-paid defensive player in the league.
Also Checkout: JJ Watt Net Worth
