Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt reveals retirement plan sparked by childhood jealousy of his brothers playing a sport he never got to play

In July 2025, the Pittsburgh Steelers doubled down on their defensive cornerstone, signing T.J. Watt to a three-year, $123 million extension that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

It’s a staggering commitment to a player who has already delivered seven Pro Bowls, four All-Pro nods, and the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year award. Yet, even as Watt continues to terrify quarterbacks in Pittsburgh, life looks different now. At 30, a new father with wife Dani Rhodes, he admits that the thought of retirement has started to creep in, and with it, the return of a childhood dream.

‘I loved hockey’: T.J. Watt admits childhood jealousy of his brothers shaped the retirement plan he still dreams about

Growing up in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, all three Watt brothers laced up skates before ever wearing helmets and pads. T.J. began skating at just two years old, playing center until about age eleven. “I loved hockey. I really did,” T.J. Watt told Graham Bensinger during a 2025 sit-down interview. “I think beer league would be the most fun to do after I’m done playing.”

The passion was real. “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,” Watt explained. While J.J. and Derek Watt pushed further into AAA hockey, J.J. even traveling to Germany with their father and grandfather, T.J. never got that chance. “I felt shorted in that aspect. I felt like I was pretty damn good at hockey, and obviously J.J.

and Derek were really good too.”The memory still stings. While his brother packed for Europe, T.J. was forced to hand over a jersey he had just earned. That hunger for competition did not vanish. It simply shifted into football.

Why the Pittsburgh Steelers paid $123 million: T.J. Watt continues to define the team’s defensive legacy

If hockey left a void, the NFL filled it with dominance. Since being drafted in 2017, Watt has recorded 108 sacks, 33 forced fumbles, and even seven interceptions. He became Pittsburgh’s all-time sack leader by 2024 and, despite playing on a bad ankle last season, still produced 11.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly captured the expectations perfectly when he said, “He’s going to have 20 sacks this year.”For most defenders, those numbers would headline a career. For Watt, they are seen as a dip. That is why Pittsburgh’s massive extension is not just a payday. It is a belief that the storm inside him is far from over.Watt has made peace with the idea that one day, he will hang up the black and gold jersey. When that happens, it will not be the end of the competition. It will be the return to the ice he never stopped loving. Until then, Steelers fans at Acrisure Stadium can count on more chaos off the edge, and someday, maybe they will spot their legend skating in a beer-league rink, grinning under a different helmet.Also Read: T.J. Watt embraces new role with Pittsburgh Steelers by rushing from both sides