Pittsburg, PA

T.J. Watt contract winners and losers: Teammate hurt, peer helped by $123M extension?

Published

8 months ago

July 18, 2025

T.J. Watt contract winners and losers: Teammate hurt, peer helped by 3M extension?

One of the more prominent and previously outstanding matters of league-wide NFL business ahead of training camps, which open en masse next week, was checked off the list Thursday afternoon when Pittsburgh Steelers superstar pass rusher T.J. Watt agreed to a long-awaited contract extension, per reports, with the only professional team he’s ever known.

And while this deal was largely expected to materialize at some point this summer and may not necessarily create a seismic impact throughout the football world, it could have some broader implications than you might think.

So we thought about it and now present you with the winners and losers from Watt’s big bag of loot:

WINNERS

T.J. Watt

But of course. His three-year, $123 million extension makes him the top-paid non-quarterback in league history, in terms of average annual value, for the second time in his career. It also means Watt, 30, will almost certainly finish out his football days with the Steelers, who drafted the eventual four-time All-Pro and 2021 Defensive Player of the Year 30th overall in 2017. Pittsburgh’s all-time leader with 108 career sacks, Watt is currently sixth among active players but could vault all the way up to second with one of his typically dominant seasons in 2025. He’s certainly got 123 million reasons worth of incentives to do so.

Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan

The conclusion of negotiations with Watt would seem to mark the end of a wildly successful offseason, one when the Steelers’ longtime head coach and recently extended general manager, respectively, practiced patience while fans and some league observers practiced panic. But now Watt has returned to the fold, which he always seemed destined to do, and will soon meet new teammates like QB Aaron Rodgers, who also took his sweet time signing on, WR DK Metcalf, DB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith along with the incoming rookie class. Expectations are justifiably growing for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season.

Jalen Ramsey

The perennial Pro Bowler was acquired (along with Smith) at the end of June in a summertime blockbuster that reshapes the back end of Pittsburgh’s defense with S Minkah Fitzpatrick headed back to the Miami Dolphins. It’s currently unclear as to how Ramsey might divide his time between covering receivers out wide, manning the slot or even putting in some work at safety with Fitzpatrick out of the picture. What is certain is that Ramsey’s best years were spent with the Los Angeles Rams, with whom he won a Super Bowl ring four years ago and was consistently at the top of his game playing behind demonic Aaron Donald, who caused so much havoc for opposing quarterbacks. Watt might not quite be Donald, but his presence is almost certain to benefit Ramsey, whether it means less time required in coverage, more opportunities to go ball hawking or even the ability to freelance more once he’s comfortable in his new system and surroundings.

Micah Parsons

With Watt’s contract done, it’s almost certainly just a matter of time before the Dallas Cowboys’ top defender − and one of the NFL’s very best − becomes the next top-paid non-quarterback of all time, whether it’s for $41.1 million a year, $44 million or whatever. But Parsons’ money is coming, and his boss, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, is probably only too happy to generate that headline in due course now that he basically knows where the target is.

(Also, Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson stands to benefit − at some point − from Watt’s newly realized riches, though he might be waiting longer given his rookie deal doesn’t expire until after the 2026 season.)

LOSERS

T.J. Watt

Bro, why are you signing this paper now? It’s supposed to be in the high 80s, humid and wet when you report to training camp in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, six days from now – where you’ll be moving into dorm rooms at Saint Vincent College. And if that’s not a darkness retreat … (Also, if the answer is evading compulsory fines for missing camp, I’d like to introduce you to Michael Strahan. But I digress.) Watt must really be missing his buddies after skipping the Steelers’ offseason training program given he could have let this drag out another couple weeks while holding in or even simply remaining at the crib or beach or wherever. In addition, no chance brothers J.J. and Derek are ever picking up another dinner check.

They have yet to placate their own holdout pass rusher, All-Pro DE Trey Hendrickson waiting for his financial situation to be resolved. Hendrickson, 30, who has 35 sacks over the past two seasons – 4½ more than Watt over the same period – hasn’t necessarily been looking to reset the market. But given he’s due to make $16 million in the final year of his deal, it’s apparent to him and anyone else outside of Cincinnati that he’s (over)due for a raise and isn’t merely 39% the player Watt is (when you crunch the salary figures anyway). And given how everything is seemingly falling into place in Pittsburgh – and already was basically set in Baltimore – the Bengals would be doing little more than undercutting their playoff hopes yet again by letting business matters impede their football operation. Pay the man.

Myles Garrett

Feels like it was just five minutes ago that he became the first non-quarterback to break the $40 million per year contractual barrier. Then he was overtaken by Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase and now Watt, who both play for (better) division rivals of Garrett’s Cleveland Browns. And, after explicitly stating he was the league’s best defensive player last season after the Browns beat the Steelers in Cleveland – a remark clearly directed at Watt – doesn’t it have to irk Garrett just a little bit that he’s now the second-best paid defender … and for a team that’s probably going to stink?

The Steelers’ Week 1 opponents will now be catching the full T.J. Watt Experience as they unveil an offense led by new QB1 (and former Steeler) Justin Fields. And just when the NYJ might have started to hope they’d be catching a guy trying to knock off rust and possibly playing on an opening day pitch count given how negotiations can sometimes drag late into the process with Pittsburgh players …

Aaron Rodgers?

The Steelers are Watt’s team, and he’s been the face of this franchise for a minute … though maybe you could argue it’s actually Tomlin. Regardless, Rodgers will definitely be the story as long as he’s amongst the yinzers, and the spotlight is about to be completely re-trained onto the four-time league MVP. No more time spent fretting about Watt’s bank account or whereabouts or questions posed to Rodgers about what No. 90 means to the team and how important it is to reward him. Nope, nope, nope. This is now all about No. 8 and what he can do to end Pittsburgh’s playoff failures and stabilize a position – temporarily anyway – that has effectively undermined this team since even before Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2022. Have fun with that, Mr. Rodgers!

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Pittsburg, PA

CMU acquires Chatham’s Eastside location, will lease back part of property

Published

4 hours ago

March 27, 2026

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CMU acquires Chatham’s Eastside location, will lease back part of property

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Pittsburg, PA

Sidney Crosby leaves Penguins-Senators game, will not return

Published

17 hours ago

March 26, 2026

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Sidney Crosby leaves Penguins-Senators game, will not return

Updated on: March 26, 2026 / 10:25 PM EDT
/ CBS Pittsburgh

Sidney Crosby left the Pittsburgh Penguins’ game against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday and did not return.

The team initially did not disclose why Crosby was ruled out of the game, but coach Dan Muse told reporters postgame that Crosby has a lower-body injury. Crosby left the ice and went to the locker room early in the second period. The Penguins went on to beat the Senators in a shootout, 4-3.

Pittsburgh also played Thursday’s game without Evgeni Malkin, who has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury. It remains unclear how long he will be out, with the team only saying Malkin is “day-to-day,” according to a post on X from March 24.

Crosby returned to Pittsburgh’s lineup on March 18 against the Carolina Hurricanes after missing four weeks due to a lower-body injury suffered during the Olympic tournament. Crosby was injured during Team Canada’s quarterfinal win over Team Czechia after a hit by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas.

Crosby was placed on injured reserve and missed 11 games. In the five games since returning to the lineup, Crosby has tallied five points. This season, the 38-year-old star for the Penguins has a team-high 28 goals, and he is third on the team with 36 assists.

With 10 games remaining in the regular season, Pittsburgh (36-20-16) sits in second place in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division with 88 points. The Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders both have 87 points.

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$1.5 million-winning Pennsylvania Lottery ticket sold at Pittsburgh hospital

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

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.5 million-winning Pennsylvania Lottery ticket sold at Pittsburgh hospital

March 26, 2026 / 9:15 AM EDT
/ CBS Pittsburgh

A Pittsburgh hospital will be getting a big bonus for selling a $1.5 million-winning Pennsylvania Lottery scratch-off ticket.

UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital sold the Cash Spectacular ticket, and, as a result, will get a $10,000 bonus.

According to the Pennsylvania Lottery, the Cash Spectacular is a $30 game that offers the top prize of $1.5 million.

As they often do when a big winner such as this one happens, the Pennsylvania Lottery is reminding players that scratch-off prizes are valid for one year from the game’s end-sale date, which can be found on their website.

The Pennsylvania Lottery also said that scratch-offs are distributed at random, so neither the lottery nor the retailers know where winning tickets will be sold.

Pittsburgh area million-dollar winners

Since the calendar flipped to 2026, the Pittsburgh area has been one lucky place, with multiple million-dollar or more winning tickets sold since January.

The first came on January 8 when a $1 million scratch-off was sold at a North Huntingdon Township Walmart. The $20 Jackpot Scratch-Off yielded the top prize of $1 million.

Just a week later, again in Westmoreland County, a Match 6 Lotto ticket was sold at the North Huntingdon Sheetz, giving someone a $1.4 million prize.

One of the biggest jackpots of the year came earlier this month in Armstrong County, when one lucky player won $1 million for year for life.

That ticket was sold at a BP gas station on Buffalo Street in Freeport Borough. As a result, the BP got a $100,000 bonus.

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