Watt brothers prep for 2022 NFL season, and this time T.J. is the unquestioned headliner in Pittsburgh, but don't count out J.J. in Arizona

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The 2022 season will mark the 12th with at least one Watt brother in the National Football League — though it's the baby of the family, T.J., who has emerged as one of the best players in the NFL while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

T.J. is the reigning league Defensive Player of the Year, an award older brother J.J. has won a record-tying three times. After signing a four-year contract extension before last season, Watt tied the NFL sack record and now comes into the year regarded as the No. 6 player in NFL.com's annual survey of the top 100 players in the league (fellow University of Wisconsin star Jonathan Taylor at No. 5 and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at No. 3).

J.J., meanwhile, is trying to stay healthy in his second year with the Arizona Cardinals. The trio of brothers from Pewaukee High School and UW also includes fullback Derek Watt, in his third season as T.J.'s teammate with the Steelers.

T.J. Watt is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
T.J. Watt is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Could T.J. Watt match his brother's haul of Defensive Player of the Year awards?

The Packers infamously passed on drafting the UW standout with the 29th pick in the 2017 NFL draft, instead trading that pick to the Browns and backing up to the 33rd pick, which became cornerback Kevin King.

In the interim, Watt was drafted 30th by the Steelers. Not only that, but fellow UW product Ryan Ramczyk was selected by the Saints at No. 32. Last year, Ramczyk signed a five-year, $96 million extension.

T.J. has been a tour de force in his five years in the NFL, with four Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro selections each of the past three years. He posted a league-best 15 sacks in 2021 and then 22 ½ last year, matching the NFL record (infamously) set by Michael Strahan of the Giants in 2001.

In 2021, T.J. finished second behind Rams star Aaron Donald in the league's defensive player of the year voting after taking third the year before that. Donald's third Defensive Player of the Year award matched J.J. and Lawrence Taylor for the most in history.

But last year was T.J.'s turn, winning the award in a landslide over runner-up Micah Parsons of Dallas. In addition to his sacks over 15 games played, he led the league with 21 tackles for loss.

The Steelers restructured his contract before the season to free up contract space.

J.J. Watt laughs with his teammates during the Arizona Cardinals Back Together Saturday Practice on July 30 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
J.J. Watt laughs with his teammates during the Arizona Cardinals Back Together Saturday Practice on July 30 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

J.J. Watt looking to get healthy for 12th NFL season

Packers fans were eager to see if J.J. would come home following his departure last offseason from the Houston Texans, the franchise that drafted J.J. 11th overall in 2011 and with whom he became a three-time defensive player of the year.

It didn't happen of course, with J.J. landing in Arizona instead.

J.J. heads into the season with a calf injury and is a question mark for the season opener against the Chiefs. Last year, a shoulder injury sidelined him for most of the season, limiting him to seven games and forcing him to miss a high-profile clash with the Packers.

Watt was designated for return off injured reserve and was able to make it back for Arizona's playoff loss to the Rams, finishing with one tackle for loss and playing 24 snaps.

Significant injuries have hampered Watt in recent seasons; he's now played eight or fewer games in four of the past six seasons. But he did play in every game of those other two, including a first-team All-Pro showing in 2018 that landed him second in the league's Comeback Player of the Year voting. After 16 sacks that season, he's been held to a combined 10 sacks in the next three campaigns.

Pittsburgh fullback Derek Watt celebrates a Steelers fumble recovery against the Cincinnati Bengals during their game on Nov. 15, 2020, at Heinz Field. Watt and the Steelers won the game, 36-10.
Pittsburgh fullback Derek Watt celebrates a Steelers fumble recovery against the Cincinnati Bengals during their game on Nov. 15, 2020, at Heinz Field. Watt and the Steelers won the game, 36-10.

Derek Watt has also enjoyed a stellar NFL career

More quietly than his brothers, Steelers fullback Derek Watt has put together a stellar NFL career, now entering its seventh season and third in Pittsburgh.

He signed a three-year deal to join the Steelers for the 2020 season, and the special-teams ace played in all 17 games last year, starting four games but playing the bulk of his season on special teams.

For a second straight year, the Steelers won't meet the Cardinals. The brothers did share a field in 2020 when J.J.'s Houston Texans met Pittsburgh, though parents John and Connie were relegated to watching from afar because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Watt brothers appear on the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors awards presentation at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. T.J. was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, an award J.J. has won three times.
The Watt brothers appear on the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors awards presentation at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. T.J. was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, an award J.J. has won three times.

Big life changes for the Watts: T.J. gets married and J.J. about to become a dad

It's been a big offseason for the brothers beyond simply prepping for another season. T.J. married his longtime girlfriend, Dani Rhodes, in July during a resort wedding in Mexico. Rhodes, a former multi-sport star at Waukesha West High School, was an All-American soccer player at Wisconsin.

In June, J.J. and wife, Kealia Ohai Watt, announced that they were expecting their first child. The couple married in 2020 in the Bahamas.

Derek and his wife, Gabriella, are parents to two children, Logan and Brayden.

How old are the Watt brothers?

J.J. enters the season at 33 years old; Derek is 29 and T.J. 27 (though he'll turn 28 on Oct. 11).

Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt enters the final year of his two-year, $28 million deal that he signed prior to the 2021 season.
Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt enters the final year of his two-year, $28 million deal that he signed prior to the 2021 season.

What are the contracts and salaries for the Watt brothers?

T.J. is making $15 million base salary this year as part of a four-year, $112 million deal signed before the 2021 season. Of that money, $80 million is guaranteed. Counting this season, he's made more than $69 million in six seasons.

J.J. enters the final year of his two-year, $28 million deal that he signed with Arizona before last season. In 12 seasons, he's made $128,748,000.

Derek signed a three-year, $9.7 million deal before the 2020 season with Pittsburgh. In seven seasons, he's made more than $12 million.

J.J. Watt holds up a jersey after he was selected as the 11th overall pick by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York. He has authored a Hall of Fame career.
J.J. Watt holds up a jersey after he was selected as the 11th overall pick by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York. He has authored a Hall of Fame career.

When were the Watt brothers drafted?

All three brothers attended the University of Wisconsin.

J.J. was taken 11th overall by the Houston Texans in the 2011 draft and spent a decade with that franchise.

Derek was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the sixth round (198th overall) in the 2016 draft. He spent four years with the Chargers (one in San Diego, three in Los Angeles) and enters his third year in Pittsburgh.

T.J. was taken with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Steelers. He enters his sixth year with the franchise.

Who are the Watt brothers' parents?

The Watt family, from left, John, T.J., J.J., Derek and Connie have become a sports business brand.
The Watt family, from left, John, T.J., J.J., Derek and Connie have become a sports business brand.

John and Connie Watt continued to live in the greater Milwaukee area and frequently fly to watch their sons play NFL games. Connie is vice president of the JJ Watt Foundation and has taken a central role in operating the charitable enterprise, which was instrumental in funneling resources to Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. 

More: Pewaukee's Connie Watt discusses how she raised three NFL players on NBC's 'Today'

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt celebrates a sack during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 30, 2019, in Pittsburgh. T.J. has 72 in his career through five seasons in the NFL.
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt celebrates a sack during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 30, 2019, in Pittsburgh. T.J. has 72 in his career through five seasons in the NFL.

How close is T.J. to J.J.'s sack totals?

T.J. has a career 72 sacks, including the NFL record-tying 22 ½ in 2021. That puts him closer than you might think to J.J.'s career total of 102 sacks coming into the year.

J.J. has 177 tackles for loss, while T.J. has 80.

In his career, J.J. also has two interceptions (both returned for touchdowns) in the regular season, 26 forced fumbles, 16 fumble recoveries and 63 passes defended — he didn't get the nickname "J.J. Swat" for nothing. He returned another interception for a touchdown in his rookie year during the playoffs for Houston, and he's also registered six playoff sacks and 10 tackles for loss, plus six more passes defended.

T.J. thus far has 22 forced fumbles, seven recoveries, 32 passes defended and four interceptions. In the postseason, he's got one more recovery (returned for a 26-yard touchdown) and three passes defended, plus three tackles for losses.

More: TJ Watt showcases Pewaukee High School on his helmet at the Pro Bowl

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt runs from Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) while returning a fumble for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022.
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt runs from Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) while returning a fumble for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022.

What are the Watt brothers' height and weight?

According to Football Reference...

  • T.J. stands 6-4 and 252 pounds.

  • J.J. stands 6-5 and 288 pounds.

  • Derek stands 6-2 and 234 pounds.

JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt and Derek Watt prep for big 2022 NFL season