The biggest questions surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers right now is when the team will sign OLB T.J. Watt to an extension and how much the extension is going to cost. On Sunday morning, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Watt could end up being the highest-paid EDGE rusher in the league, and Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show believes that Watt is going to survey the market.
On The #1 Cochran Sports Showdown, Kaboly said Watt could wait until after Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson sign to get the best deal for himself.
“That’s one of the reasons why I don’t think T.J’s in any hurry,” he said. “How does it benefit T.J. Watt to sign right now? You know he’s gonna hold in, you know from a couple years ago when he did hold in that he had 22.5 sacks. Even if he does sign the contract, he’s not going to participate much in the preseason, if all…so why not take it up until September 9? See what Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson might be able to get.”
Right now, Myles Garrett has the high water mark for EDGE rushers with a $40 million average per year. Both Parsons and Hutchinson could exceed that total, and Watt likely wants to as well. However, if Watt waits and sees both Parsons and Hutchinson beat that number, then he could want to top whatever they receive.
It’s not crazy for Watt to want to be the highest-paid pass rusher in the league. He leads the NFL in sacks and forced fumbles since entering the league in 2017, and despite a rough finish to the 2024 season, he’s still an elite pass rusher. He’s proven he’s the best in the league at getting to the quarterback, and he wants to be paid commensurate to his abilities.
Given his age and the fact that he didn’t produce at the same level to end last season as he traditionally does, it’s also understandable that the Steelers may have trepidation paying him $40 million-plus a season. But as Fowler reported yesterday, there’s optimism from Pittsburgh’s side on a deal getting done, and it’s more likely than not Watt and the Steelers agree to terms.
It’s just a question of whether it happens before training camp or drags all the way until the season. If it does drag out, it may not be the team’s trepidation as much as it’s Watt wanting to see the contract his peers get.
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