Ever since Myles Garrett first signed his benchmark extension with the Cleveland Browns in March, the rest of the NFL has been dealing with the consequences as other prominent pass rushers are demanding equal compensation. Much like the Dallas Cowboys and Micah Parsons, or Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals, T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers are currently in a stalemate over a market-setting contract.
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Watt is a four-time All-Pro linebacker and one of the most prominent players at his position. That’s illustrated by the fact that he recently received his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl nomination. But the big contract he is seeking right now has a few factors working against it.
During his most recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, NFL Insider Tom Pelissero explained that the biggest roadblock to Watt securing a $40 million salary is his age.
“T.J. Watt is due $21 million in the last year of his contract,” said Pelissero. “Certainly, there’s an acknowledgment from all parties that that’s not the worth of T.J. Watt. But the question becomes, with a 31-year-old pass rusher, are you willing to pay him upwards of $40 million per year?”
A slight decline in performance in the final four weeks of the 2024 season is another factor that is currently working against Watt. Throw in some injury concerns, and it sounds as if the Steelers may hold out on offering the big bucks.
Nevertheless, Pelissero predicts that Pittsburgh will, in fact, be backing up the Brinks truck to Watt’s home in Baden, Pennsylvania. “He’s coming off the back half of 2024, where he didn’t, and the defense didn’t play the way that we are accustomed to seeing in the past,” he said.
“T.J. Watt has been a durable player, but he has played through a lot of injuries too in recent years here… If and when a deal gets done with T.J. Watt in Pittsburgh… it is going to be north of Myles Garrett,” added Pelissero.
The lackluster close to the season apart, Watt still managed to finish second in AP voting while also receiving the fourth-most votes for Defensive Player of the Year. With 61 combined tackles and 11.5 sacks, Watt is still very much elite.
Now, his contract talks come at a time when the Steelers find themselves attempting to go all in to win a playoff game. In the eyes of Pelissero, that leaves more than enough room for Watt to find some leverage in these negotiations.
“If you’re T.J. Watt, you’re going ‘This is my last big bite at the apple I’m gonna have. I’ve got the leverage because the Steelers, right now on paper, are all in, and I’m a big part of that. If I don’t get the contract I want, I’m going to make this a headache for them,’” said the insider.
While Pelissero noted that Watt is not currently at risk of retiring or holding out, he did suggest that the issue could linger into the later parts of training camp. The underlying good news, however, is that Steelers fans likely won’t have to worry about losing the services of their premier pass rusher.
