Pittsburgh Steelers Restructure Edge Rusher T.J. Watt's Contract

The Pittsburgh Steelers have more cap space to play with as they prepare for their regular season opener. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport announced the team restructured the contract of edge rusher T.J. Watt, creating an additional $6.75 million in available funds.

The #Steelers restructured the contract of pass-rusher TJ Watt to create $6.75M of space, source said. A little operating room before the season.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2022

According to overthecap.com, the Steelers had been within $2 million of the league's $208.2 million cap before the move. The restructure doesn't necessarily portend a major roster move; it's more likely the additional maneuverability will be used for minor transactions and injury reserve placements across the early portion of the season.

Watt signed his most recent contract in early September of last year. He promptly rewarded the Steelers with a monstrous Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year campaign that saw him notch 22.5 sacks, tieing an NFL record in only 15 games. The brother of three-time DPOY J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt joined the Steelers as the 30th overall pick of the 2017 draft and immediately flashed the potential to follow in his big brother's footsteps. Across his first five years in the league, Watt has tallied three All-Pros and four Pro Bowls on his way to 72.0 career sacks, all while leading the league in sacks twice and forced fumbles once. One of the league's elite defenders at only 28 years old, he's a prime candidate to win another DPOY award this season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Cincinnati Bengals in their opening game of the 2022 regular season.