TJ Watt Announces Retirement Plan As Steelers LB Confirms Jealousy of Brother’s Achievement

The Pittsburgh Steelers found gold in the 2017 NFL Draft when they grabbed T.J. Watt with the 30th overall pick. What followed was nothing short of a defensive masterclass. By 2024, he had become the Steelers’ all-time sack leader. Add to this the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, when he tied the single-season sack record. You’re talking about one of the most feared defenders of his era. And yet, the résumé could’ve been even shinier. A truth that still hangs over his career.

Now 30, turning 31 this season, life is shifting. He and his wife, professional soccer player Dani Rhodes, welcomed their first child this offseason. With fatherhood settling in and his ninth year in Pittsburgh approaching, Watt admitted in a sit-down with Graham Bensinger that the word “retirement” is no longer a distant thought. And there might be a dream plan waiting to unfold after that.

Actually, TJ Watt’s earliest dream in sports wasn’t just sacking quarterbacks—it was scoring goals on the ice. Growing up in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, the Watt brothers all laced up skates before they ever strapped on pads. TJ was a center, skating from the time he was two until about age eleven, when the soaring cost of travel and equipment pushed him into football. “I loved hockey. I really did,” Watt admitted to Graham Bensinger. “I think beer league would be the most fun to do after I’m done playing.” Even as one of the NFL’s most decorated defenders, Watt’s love for hockey never faded. A viral clip from 2023 showed him locked in playing NHL on his console, eyes burning with the same competitive fire he brings to Heinz Field.

“But yeah, I finally made AAA and, like I said before, it was such a tough sport to have three boys in—especially at that age—because you’re at different levels and getting pulled in different directions,” he added. That story still stings. Both JJ Watt and Derek Watt played AAA hockey, and JJ even got to travel to Germany with their dad and grandpa—an experience that TJ never had. More than the jealousy of his brothers, it was the hunger. “I felt shorted in that aspect. I felt like I was pretty damn good at hockey, and obviously JJ and Derek were really good too.” While JJ was boarding international flights with their grandfather, TJ was stuck handing over a jersey he’d just earned. A door slammed shut on a dream.

Even though he’s now the Steelers’ all-time sack leader, the hockey itch never left. That’s why his “beer league” dream hits so hard. He knows if his production dips—like it did late in 2024 while he pushed through an ankle sprain—that’s the cue to walk away on his terms.

Retirement? Not too soon for the Steelers

Retirement? That word might be floating in T.J. Watt’s head, but Pittsburgh just slammed the brakes on any farewell tour talk. In July, the Steelers locked their monster off the edge into a three-year, $123 million extension—making Watt the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Think about that. $41 million a year. More than Myles Garrett, more than Ja’Marr Chase. And the timing? Perfect. Watt is 30, still terrifying left tackles, and Pittsburgh isn’t about to let their all-time sack leader slip into memory.

So, what exactly are they paying for? Seven straight Pro Bowls, four All-Pro nods, and a résumé stacked with 108 sacks, 33 forced fumbles, and seven interceptions. That’s not just production; that’s a defensive empire. Watt has lived in the same sentence as Myles Garrett for years, and yet he keeps finding ways to tilt the conversation back to black and gold. He’s the face of a franchise, the standard-bearer for an organization that builds its identity on defense.

Now here’s the kicker: Watt’s extension is like a bet on the storm still inside him. Last season, even on a bum ankle, he cranked out 11.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. Solid numbers by anyone else’s standard—but for Watt? That was a slow burn. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly isn’t shy about it either: “He’s going to have 20 sacks this year.” Twenty. Do you feel the weight of that? If he gets there, it’s more than a comeback. In 2025, he might just remind the league why you never underestimate a man who’s still chasing ghosts from the ice rink.