Update on Steelers' contract extension negotiations with T.J. Watt.
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A Pittsburgh Steelers insider shared an update on contract extension negotiations with star pass rusher T.J. Watt.
The Pittsburgh Steelers “have been discussing a new contract” with star pass rusher T.J. Watt, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette insider Gerry Dulac, but no deal has been agreed upon as of June 2.
That’s nothing new, but Dulac did go into more detail on the latest between the Steelers and Watt ahead of mandatory minicamp, including the likely “holdup” that has prevented some sort of contract extension from coming together quickly.
“The holdup in the deal will be contingent on what Watt is seeking and how much and how long the Steelers are willing to guarantee his new contract,” Dulac relayed within his update. “Right now, four edge rushers have contracts whose total value exceeds Watt’s once-record deal, including [Myles] Garrett and San Francisco’s Nick Bosa.”
Per Dulac, Watt’s age — as well as a potential regression — could be more of a factor in contract stalls than salary.
“Watt will be 31 in October, and age will likely be a factor in the length of the contract the Steelers are willing to offer,” the Pittsburgh insider explained. “There have been examples of some of the league’s best edge rushers seeing their production drop once they hit the age of 30.”
Dulac went on to cite Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and Khalil Mack as examples.
Dulac Expects Steelers & T.J. Watt to Come to an Agreement on a New Contract
Like most Steelers media members, Dulac remains fairly confident that Watt and the Steelers will work things out, eventually.
He noted that there is an “expectation” that the two parties will come to an agreement “before the start of the regular season.”
“Watt is heading into the final year of the five-year, $112 million contract ($80 million guaranteed) he signed in 2021 that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league,” Dulac reminded, adding: “But two developments in the offseason have likely upped his asking price.”
“The first was when Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, was given a four-year, $160 million extension with nearly $124 million guaranteed,” he continued.
“The other came when the Steelers traded for wide receiver DK Metcalf and gave him a five-year, $150 million deal with $60 million guaranteed — the largest total contract the franchise has ever handed a player.”
These developments set the stage for Watt to get a deserved pay raise, and the Steelers are expected to oblige.
“In all likelihood, the Steelers will come to some agreement with Watt, their all-time sack leader,” Dulac concluded. Reasoning that “the Steelers reward their key players as much for past performance as they do future projections.”
Steelers Must Commit to Watt, But Must Be Careful About Length of New Deal
Dulac alluded that the Steelers could be wary of another long-term marriage with Watt at his current age. And that’s wise, not just because Watt could regress.
The future of this team and organization is unsettled right now, to say the least.
There is no long-term answer at quarterback, and a lot of the Steelers’ money is tied up in older defensive players, outside of Metcalf. In other words, if Pittsburgh doesn’t find a franchise QB who can make an immediate impact soon, committing to Watt for another four or five years at an exorbitant average annual salary doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
It does for 2025 and 2026, especially if the Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers for a year or two. Beyond that, it’s unclear how Pittsburgh should reshape this roster.