Ever since being drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt has found himself in hot pursuit of that class’ No. 1 pick, Myles Garrett.
The two ended up going sack-for-sack over their first two seasons. The Cleveland Browns star was the first to make an All-Pro team. Watt was named a first-team selection each of the next three years.
Watt was the first (and only) of the two to find 20 sacks in a season, the first to win Defensive Player of the Year, and the first to 100 sacks.
Yet, the best edge rusher in football resides in Cleveland, and he was recently paid like it.
Garrett attempted to muscle his way out of Cleveland in the offseason before being signed to a four-year, $160 million that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the sport – until Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase topped him weeks later.
Now, as Watt enters a contract year and makes his extension requests public, the question comes up …
What does Watt want?
CBS Sports' Aditi Kinkhabwala is refuting the notion that he wants to top Garrett.
She told 93.7 The Fan that Watt "is not that petty" and isn't trying to land more than Garrett.
“I got asked that, too," Kinkhabwala said. "'Oh, is T.J. Watt's whole contract situation being held up by Myles Garrett?' And my response to that is T.J. Watt is not that petty. This is not about, "Oh, I need one penny more than Myles Garrett."
Watt this offseason took to Instagram to post a picture of himself giving a peace sign, thrusting Steelers fans into a panic. Pittsburgh is incentivized to keep Watt, a franchise icon, around forever. Watt made comments early in the offseason about wanting to be in Western Pennsylvania forever.
“Petty”? Maybe not. But Garrett has set the bar for Watt. It’s up to the Steelers to meet it or come close enough to appease their star.
The fact that Myles Garrett got $40 million per year sets a bar for T.J. Watt … and for Dallas pass-rusher Micah Parsons, in the same class as a producer and also due an extension.
Pittsburgh has some reasons to be hesitant in meeting Garrett’s deal. Watt is entering his age-31 season, posted his fewest sacks in a healthy season since 2017 (11.5), and he plays a position that doesn’t age well.
Given the team’s proclivity for the status quo and the edge rusher’s immense talent, keeping Watt around – no matter the price – still feels more likely than not.
But there’s nothing “petty” about pushing toward Garrett’s dollars.