Pass rushers are getting paid.
Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett got theirs. Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson will, too.
The new number is in the range of $40 million annually for the position. ...
And Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt obviously believes he's due.
Watt, who is entering the final year of a four-year $112 million contract, is missing from OTAs as he campaigns for a new deal. Call it a "voluntary holdout'' that has Steelers fans worried ... especially after the cryptic revelation from his famous brother J.J.
T.J., the former Defensive Player of the Year, previously had the record for the highest-paid contract at his position when he signed that deal in 2021. This season without an extension, he'll make $21.05 million on salary and cost $30.4 million total on the cap.
T.J.'s brother J.J., a legend in his own right, appeared on ESPN Wednesday. Although he didn't address his brother's situation very directly, he did mention some points to consider.
“Ownership and front offices obviously treat this like a business,” J.J. said, “but they do not like it when the players flip the script on them and treat it like a business back.”
No problem there. Brother is on the side of brother.
Anything else?
"I have a lot of information on that subject," he said. "That's not my subject to discuss."
And on that crytpic note, The Steel City can open its mental floodgates as to the depth of the problem here.
T.J. Watt, 30, is entering his ninth season in the league and remains one of the game's best defensive players, despite a somewhat down 2024 season (to his standards).
In 2024, he still racked up 11.5 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles. He has led the league in sacks a record three times and owns four First Team All-Pro honors to go with his 2021 DPOY.
But how much do the Steelers want to pay a player "on the wrong side of 30''?
Worth noting: They dished out $30 million to newcomer DK Metcalf this offseason. ... and you can take an educated guess that that contract is in play here, too.
Watt has all the qualifications necessary to potentially be the next highest-paid defensive player ever, it just comes down to when the Steelers agree to make that happen.