T.J. Watt Net Worth: How the Steelers Linebacker Makes, Spends Money
Watt is best known as a terror to opposing quarterbacks in the NFL, but he actually started his football career on the offensive side of the ball. He was a three-star prospect coming out of Pewaukee High School in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, suburbs, and committed to the Wisconsin Badgers as a tight end.
He was redshirted his first season on campus and, the following year, suffered a knee injury that would once again keep him off the field. When Watt started to regain his health, then-head coach Paul Chryst suggested that he try his hand at defense, per the Wisconsin State Journal.
Watt laughed off the idea at first, but then he embraced the switch to outside linebacker. The rest, as they say, is history; Watt racked up 63 total tackles, led the Big Ten conference with 11.5 sacks, and earned All-America honors during his redshirt junior season in 2016.
He declared for the 2017 NFL Draft after that season, and the Steelers selected their second Watt — one year after drafting T.J.’s older brother, Derek — with the 30th overall pick. The youngest Watt shined immediately, recording 54 tackles and seven sacks through 15 starts his rookie season.
Every year since, Watt has been selected to the Pro Bowl, and he’s earned three first-team All-Pro nods and one Defensive Player of the Year award in that span. He was the NFL’s forced fumbles co-leader in 2019 and led the league in sacks in back-to-back seasons — including when he tied Michael Strahan’s record with 22.5 in 2021. He’s on pace to lead the NFL for a third time as the 2023 season comes to a close.
