The Pittsburgh Steelers offseason has been filled with Aaron Rodgers drama, and while they managed to sign him to a one-year, $13.65 million contract in free agency, they now have T.J. Watt drama they have to deal with.
Watt, who has been looking for a new contract this offseason, skipped mandatory minicamp last week. While the two sides are reportedly discussing a new contract in amicable fashion, it’s never a great sign to see a player skip any mandatory team events.
For the time being, the Steelers don’t seem too worried about their negotiations with Watt. However, in an offseason where fellow superstar pass rushers like Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby have earned massive new deals, Pittsburgh is reportedly hoping to avoid making Watt’s contract one-up those deals, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
“You know if they possibly can they’re gonna try to not make him the highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL, but they do want to compensate him properly because these are the guys you end up putting in your team’s Ring of Honor,” Rapoport said on “The Insiders.”
Watt has firmly established himself as one of the most disruptive defenders in the league, as he’s earned seven straight Pro Bowl selections, four All-Pro First Team honors, and the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year Award.
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However, he’s preparing to enter his age-31 season, which makes it tough for the Steelers to commit the sort of money to him that younger guys like Garrett and Crosby are getting. It’s also worth noting that Trey Hendrickson and Micah Parsons are still looking for big-money extensions themselves, which could be why there’s a holdup with Watt.
The overarching consensus is that a deal will get done between these two sides in the near future. However, if the Steelers balk at Watt’s price tag, it could result in this situation taking an unexpected turn for the worse.
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