Trent Jordan Watt Bio
Trent Jordan Watt is an American professional football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Born on October 11, 1994, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, Watt attended the University of Wisconsin where he transitioned from tight end to defensive end, eventually earning recognition as a top edge rusher in college. Selected 30th overall by Pittsburgh in the 2017 NFL Draft, he quickly became one of the league’s most dominant defensive players. His accolades include NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2021), four First-team All-Pro selections, eight Pro Bowl appearances, and he became the first player to lead the NFL in sacks three times since the statistic became official in 1982. In 2025, he signed a three-year extension worth $123 million with $108 million guaranteed.
Early Life and Background
Trent Jordan Watt was born on October 11, 1994, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. He is the youngest of three sons of Connie and John Watt. His father served as a firefighter for more than 25 years while his mother worked as the vice president of an independent inspections company.
Watt attended Pewaukee High School, where he earned three-star ratings from various recruiting services. While playing for the Pewaukee Pirates, he received first-team All-Conference honors at four different positions including defensive end, tight end, quarterback, and punter. His high school later retired his jersey number in recognition of his achievements. Beyond football, Watt excelled in track and field, capturing the 2013 Wisconsin state championship in the shot put.
Path to American Football
Watt enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013, beginning his college career as a tight end for the Wisconsin Badgers. He redshirted his freshman season and missed the entire 2014 campaign due to a knee injury. In July 2015, head coach Paul Chryst invited Watt to switch to defensive end, and outside linebackers coach Tim Tibesar recalled that the transition was akin to teaching a freshman, given that Watt had not played a football game since October 2012. He appeared in all 13 games during the 2015 season, recording four solo tackles, four assisted tackles, and three pass breakups.
Watt experienced his breakthrough campaign in 2016. After the fourth game of his junior season, he led the Big Ten Conference in sacks. His standout performance against Michigan State earned him Big Ten Player of the Week honors and the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week Award. For the season, he recorded 63 total tackles and 11.5 sacks while also intercepting a pass and scoring a defensive touchdown against Purdue. Watt received first-team All-American honors from Sports Illustrated and second-team honors from the Associated Press. He announced on January 3, 2017, that he would forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. During his collegiate career, Watt majored in retailing and consumer behavior and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2015 and 2016.
Trent Jordan Watt Career
Early Career (2017)
Watt received an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine as one of the top edge rushers in the draft. Among linebackers, he finished second in the vertical jump and three-cone drill, tied for first in the broad jump and short shuttle. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the first round with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. On June 14, 2017, Watt signed a fully guaranteed, four-year, $9.25 million contract with a $4.87 million signing bonus. He entered training camp competing with James Harrison for the starting right outside linebacker position and earned the job to begin the regular season.
Watt made his professional regular season debut against the Cleveland Browns on September 10, 2017, recording seven combined tackles, two sacks, and an interception in the 21-18 victory. He became the first rookie to start at linebacker for the Steelers since 1988. Despite a groin injury that sidelined him for one game, Watt finished his rookie season with 54 combined tackles, seven sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception in 15 games. He earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors and helped the Steelers finish 13-3, advancing to the AFC Divisional Round playoffs.
Breakthrough Seasons (2018-2021)
Watt began the 2018 season named the starting left outside linebacker alongside Bud Dupree. He delivered a season-opening performance against the Browns with ten combined tackles, three sacks, and a blocked field goal in overtime, earning his first AFC Defensive Player of the Week honor. That season, he started all 16 games and recorded 68 combined tackles, 13 sacks, and six forced fumbles, earning his first Pro Bowl selection.
By 2019, Watt had established himself as one of the premier pass-rushers in the NFL. He led the AFC with 14.5 sacks and tied for the league lead with eight forced fumbles. He was named Steelers Team MVP, becoming the first defensive player to win the award since Troy Polamalu in 2010. He earned First-team All-Pro honors as an edge rusher and Second-team All-Pro as a linebacker, and was nominated for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
In 2020, Watt led the NFL in sacks with 15, tackles for loss with 23, and quarterback hits with 41. Despite these dominating numbers, he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He won the professional Butkus Award and earned First-team All-Pro honors for the second consecutive season. He also earned AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors twice during the campaign. In 2021, Watt signed a four-year extension worth over $112 million with $80 million guaranteed, becoming the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL at the time. Despite missing two games and parts of four others, he tied Michael Strahan’s 20-year-old NFL single-season sack record with 22.5, joining the exclusive company of just four players to reach that milestone twice. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year and earned First-team All-Pro honors.
Pittsburgh Steelers Era (2022-Present)
The 2022 season saw Watt battle injuries, suffering a torn pectoral muscle in Week 1 against the Bengals and later undergoing knee surgery. He finished with 39 tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and 5.5 sacks in 10 games, yet still earned a Pro Bowl selection. In 2023, Watt broke James Harrison’s Steelers franchise sack record, finishing with 68 tackles, 19 sacks, four forced fumbles, one interception, and one defensive touchdown. He became the first player to lead the NFL in sacks three times since the statistic became official in 1982 and earned First-team All-Pro honors for the fourth time.
During the 2024 season, Watt reached his 100th career sack in Week 5 against Dallas, becoming the second-fastest player in NFL history to achieve the milestone and the third player to do so before turning 30. He led the league with six forced fumbles and was named Steelers Team MVP for the fifth time, setting a franchise record. He earned Second-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection. On July 22, 2025, Watt signed a three-year extension worth $123 million with $108 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL at the time.
Driving Style and Strengths
Watt has established himself as one of the most dominant and consistent pass-rushers in Steelers history. His relentless motor, exceptional hand technique, and powerful bull rush allow him to collapse pockets and disrupt opposing quarterbacks. Beyond his sack production, Watt has demonstrated a remarkable ability to force turnovers, ranking among the league leaders in forced fumbles throughout his career. His versatility is evident in his interception totals and defensive touchdowns, showing he can make game-changing plays even when the pass rush does not result in sacks.
Notable Events and Milestones
Watt holds the Steelers franchise record for career sacks and is the first player to lead the NFL in sacks three times since sacks became official in 1982. His 2021 season, in which he tied the single-season sack record with 22.5 despite missing multiple games, stands as one of the most impressive individual campaigns in league history. His ability to make critical plays in high-pressure situations, including forcing fumbles on two-point conversion attempts and scoring defensive touchdowns in playoffs, has cemented his legacy.
Trent Jordan Watt Career Wins
Throughout his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Watt has accumulated impressive statistics across multiple categories. His 517 career tackles, 115 sacks, 36 forced fumbles, 14 fumble recoveries, nine interceptions, and 57 pass deflections reflect his impact on every facet of the game.
Pittsburgh Steelers Highlights
Watt has been the cornerstone of the Steelers defense since his selection in 2017. He has earned eight consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2018 through 2025 and four First-team All-Pro honors in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023. His 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award recognized his record-tying 22.5-sack season. He has led the NFL in sacks three times, matching an exclusive milestone in league history. Watt’s 115 career sacks place him among the all-time greats, and his franchise record with the Steelers remains unmatched.
Other Achievements
Beyond his NFL accomplishments, Watt’s college career at Wisconsin produced memorable performances. His 11.5-sack junior season earned him Big Ten Player of the Week honors against Michigan State, first-team All-American recognition, and first-team All-Big Ten accolades. His transition from tight end to defensive end remains one of the more remarkable position changes in recent college football history.
Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Watt comes from an accomplished football family. His older brothers are Derek Watt, a former fullback who played for the San Diego Chargers and was also T.J.’s teammate with the Steelers from 2020 to 2022, and J.J. Watt, a former three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and five-time First-team All-Pro defensive end who played for the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals. In 2023, T.J. and J.J. became the first pair of brothers to appear together on a Wheaties cereal box, a testament to their remarkable football legacy.
Personal Life
Watt married professional soccer player Dani Rhodes on July 9, 2022. The couple welcomed their daughter, Blakely Marie Watt, on March 10, 2025. Off the field, Watt supports 412 Food Rescue, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organization. In 2025, both he and his wife became ambassadors for the UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation, focusing on raising awareness for pediatric healthcare. In August 2025, Watt and his wife partnered with Abercrombie and Fitch to release the Your Personal Best activewear line.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season presented Watt with significant challenges, including a hospitalization for a partial lung collapse in December that forced him to miss three games. Despite this setback, he managed to record 55 tackles, seven sacks, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions. One of the season’s defining moments came when Watt surpassed his brother J.J. Watt on the NFL’s all-time sack list with his 115th career sack during a Week 12 game against the Chicago Bears. He also made his ninth career interception in the season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, helping secure the AFC North title with a 26-24 victory.
Watt earned his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl selection and was named Steelers Team MVP for the fifth consecutive season. The Steelers finished with a 10-7 record and captured the AFC North division championship. However, their postseason run ended in the Wild Card Round with a loss to the Houston Texans. Watt’s individual achievements throughout the season demonstrated his continued ability to make game-changing plays while battling adversity.