Ever since he made some cryptic social media posts earlier in the offseason, Pittsburgh Steelers fans have been on the edge of their seats when it comes to Pittsburgh getting a contract extension done with T.J. Watt.
Watt, who is easily the team’s best player and remains crucial for the success of the defense, is entering the final year of his contract in 2025 and could very well reset the market, something Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett recently did with his humungous four-year, $160 million deal.
Recently, Bob Labriola of Steelers.com was asked about the situation with Watt and Pittsburgh’s talks, and he cautioned to be patient because he expects the process to take a long time.
“Patience. Signing a superstar such as T.J. Watt to a contract extension is not a simple matter, and so it’s going to take time. Those kinds of things usually take place during the summer, and we’re not even to Memorial Day yet,” Labriola wrote.
When it comes to the uncertainty of such an important player, being patient isn’t easy. A Watt extension is no small venture for the Steelers, especially when you consider the kind of dollar figures we’re talking about here.
Simply paying Watt more than Garrett, which is something he could very well want, won’t be that easy.
For starters, Garrett’s deal didn’t just reset the market, it left the rest of the edge rushers in the NFL in the dust by nearly $4.5 million annually. That was clearly Cleveland’s desperation play in the wake of Garrett demanding a trade.
One thing that will make the Steelers’ decision difficult is Watt’s age. He’s a full year older than Garrett and is already north of 30 and is set to turn 31 in October.
Giving out a massive contract to a player of that age is risky, which could lead to the Steelers balking at making Watt the game’s highest-paid edge rusher, or even something close to it. If so, that could lead to a prolonged standoff that will only add to the concern about Watt eventually leaving.
Now, would we expect Watt to hold out if he doesn’t get his deal? No, but that would put him on track to go elsewhere in free agency in 2026.
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