J.J. Watt mentioned last month that he hoped he would receive a long-term contract, and as one of the best defensive lineman in the NFL, he earned his six-year $100 million extension on Tuesday. The defensive end will receive $51.876 million in guaranteed money.
Watt has been confident that his play on the field would eventually earn him a long-term contract with the Texans when he was asked about the situation just a few weeks ago. That couldn't be doubted, as Watt has recorded 182 tackles, 36.5 sacks, 27 pass deflections and eight forced fumbles in 48 career NFL games (his first three seasons). Watt was selected 11th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft and has seen fellow draft classmates Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson, Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tyron Smith, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, and a few others receive large extensions.
"With the new CBA, I think one of the goals was to make guys earn their pay," said Watt, in this ESPN article. "So I think when a team gives a big contract after the third year, they're saying, 'Listen, we think you've earned this.' I don't know if [the Texans] feel that way or not, but I sure hope I've put in all the work, and I've put in everything I can do to hopefully earn it."
Well, the Texans do feel that way and have rewarded the former Wisconsin Badger with the second $100 million contract for a defensive player (Albert Haynesworth received the first in 2009), and he'll now become the highest paid defensive player in NFL history. Watt also became the 10th player to receive a $100 million contract since the NFL and NFLPA agreed to the league's newest collective bargaining agreement and the 19th in NFL history.
However, Watt will still play out the final two years of his rookie contract, during which he will earn $1.9 million in 2014 and $6.9 million in 2015. The breakdown for his contract extension from 2016-2021 has not yet been disclosed, but he'll receive a fully guaranteed $30.87 million at signing. Houston is now guaranteed to have Watt and Jadeveon Clowney for the next five years, which will be a scary duo if Clowney lives up to expectations.
The Texans open their season against the Washington Redskins on September 7 at 1 p.m. You can read more about J.J. Watt's contract extension in this Houston Chronicle article.
