It sure seems like T.J. Watt will receive another contract extension from the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. That deal will likely guarantee that Watt never plays for another team during his NFL career, but his current contract expires after the 2025 season. And for whatever reason, there just hasn’t been a lot of buzz about a deal over the last few months.
The pass-rush market exploded this offseason with Danielle Hunter, Maxx Crosby, and, of course, Myles Garrett, receiving new deals. Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson are also expected to get deals done over the next few months, and the Parsons deal specifically could have a significant impact on Watt’s next contract.
But why haven’t we heard more discussion regarding Watt’s contract? Is it because it’s a forgone conclusion that it will get done during training camp? Or are the two sides not close to a deal, given the recent explosion in the EDGE market?
EDGE market explosion could be hurting Pittsburgh Steelers talks with T.J. Watt
One thing for sure is that the national media is starting to get curious about what is happening in Pittsburgh. In a recent article by Benjamin Solak of ESPN, he wrote about the lack of urgency from both sides to get a deal done regarding the Steelers and Watt. Here is a snippet of what he had to say about the whole situation:
"I am not ringing any alarm bells, but I find it interesting that T.J. Watt is in the final year of his deal with pretty much no smoke about an upcoming extension. I find this doubly interesting when you consider that he is 31 and coming off his worst season as a pro. And I find it triply interesting that Watt has never won a playoff game with the Steelers, who may be approaching a massive organizational overhaul if coach Mike Tomlin cannot figure out the quarterback position. Just a thought!"Benjamin Solak, ESPN
There is no doubt that Watt wants to be paid a fair market price, and that number is around $40 million per season. But Watt will be entering his age-31 season, meaning that his new deal wouldn’t kick in until he turned 32. That might be too much for the Steelers to spend on an aging, albeit elite pass rusher.
But the Steelers might not have a choice. Watt is the franchise’s biggest name, and the cap space isn’t an issue for the Steelers at this moment. Could Watt potentially be holding off on a deal to see how the quarterback situation shakes out before committing long-term to the team? That is certainly possible, but unlikely.
In the end, expect the Steelers and T.J. Watt to come to a deal that makes him one of the league’s highest-paid defensive players ever. But until that happens, it’s fair to wonder if both sides could be exploring alternate paths should a deal not come together.
