T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers ultimately met in the middle when it came to the biggest issue in their long-winded contract talks.
“Well, I think the issue when they were sitting down and talking was length,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said during an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Monday.
According to Schefter, Watt desired a four-year deal while Pittsburgh wanted to sign him to a two-year agreement. Watt landed a three-year, $123 million contract, paying him an average annual value of $41 million.
Cleveland Browns star defender Myles Garrett signed a four-year, $160 million contract this offseason. Watt came up short in total money and years, but eclipsed Garrett in AAV.
“The Steelers would have preferred a shorter-term deal and T.J. Watt would have wanted a longer term deal,” Schefter said. “They always were going to re-sign him, as we talked about. The fact of the matter was — I think it’s very convenient for a lot of these guys to take a stand in that mandatory minicamp going in.”
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Watt was granted $108 million in guaranteed money, which made taking some $107,000 in minicamp fines look like an investment well worth it.
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