The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Tuesday that they have picked up the fifth-year option on linebacker T.J. Watt's rookie contract.

Watt is slated to earn $1.7 million in 2020.

The Steelers' decision to exercise Watt's option for 2021 hardly comes as a surprise, as the 25-year-old has developed into one of the best defensive players in the NFL.

Watt, who played his collegiate football at the University of Wisconsin and is the younger brother of Houston Texans star J.J. Watt and recently-signed Steelers fullback Derek Watt, was originally selected by Pittsburgh in the first round (30th pick overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.

He played in 15 games during his rookie campaign and was impressive, registering 54 tackles, seven sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and seven passes defended.

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The following year, Watt showed significant improvement, appearing in every contest and racking up 68 tackles, 13 sacks and six forced fumbles en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.

Watt continued to display his dominance in 2019, rattling off 55 tackles, 14.5 sacks, a pair of interceptions, eight forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and eight passes defended, earning another trip to the Pro Bowl and a First-Team All-Pro selection.

The Steelers went 8-8 this past season, missing the playoffs for the second straight year. Of course, Pittsburgh's struggles were primarily due to the club's instability at quarterback, as Ben Roethlisberger was knocked out with an elbow injury after just two games and neither Mason Rudolph nor Devlin Hodges were able to provide the Steelers with a lift.

The good news for the Steelers is that Roethlisberger appears ready to return next season.