FRISCO - There was a time when $30 million a year might've done it.
There was definitely a time when $35 million a year might've done it.
And as of, say, Monday? OK, it was going to have to be $40 million a year to get it done.
But Micah Parsons - who recently cautioned the Dallas Cowboys that waiting to sign him to a record-breaking contract extension would accomplish nothing except that the price would be going up - is proving to be correct.
And now, it's T.J. Watt's fault.
Well, and the Cowboys' Jerry Jones' fault. And Micah's agent David Mulughata's fault, too. ... because while the people who are assigned to complete Parsons' deal - which we have for months projected to come in at $40 million per year, maybe for five years at a total of $200 million ...
Watt would like a word.
Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers are of course at odds over which direction their contract negotiations should go. Their deals have been a bit bitter; Parsons' has not.
But otherwise, there are parallels.
Watt, the superstar edge rusher and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is entering the final season of his deal in 2025 and has been holding out as he is seeking an extension from the team.
Micah has not held out but is also eligible for a new deal.
And it's what Watt's reported demand is that represents bad news for the 'Boys.
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on Tuesday, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac said that Watt wants to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL history.
"The stalemate is going to be that T.J. Watt wants to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league,"Dulac said.
Oh my.
Currently, Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals is the highest-paid non-quarterback in football at about $40 million per year. ... and of course Cleveland Browns edge Myles Garrett is in that same range and the guy who recently set the bar for defensive players.
This means Watt is seeking a deal worth over $40 million annually. .. and he's 31.
Micah is 26. What do you think this means for him?
The idea of being the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history was at one time, according to Micah himself, not a priority. But now? Garrett got his. Maxx Crosby in Las Vegas got his. Trey Hendrickson in Cincy wants him. And Watt just made a big noise.
The money is changing. The times are changing. And Watt just created a reason for Micah's mindset to be changing, too.
