How do you get a T.J. Watt contract done? Very creatively. That’s how beat writer Chris Adamski thinks the Pittsburgh Steelers could strike a long-term deal with Watt. One that might technically make him the highest-paid pass rusher on paper even if the details of the deal suggest otherwise.
“I think what they’ll probably do is…find a way to creatively make the average annual value, maybe look 41 million or 40 million and a half or 40 million and $1,” Adamski said Sunday night on the KDKA Sports Showdown. “And then you can creatively void years or non-guarantees, things like that. You can make it so everybody sort of wins. Where T.J. gets to say he is the highest paid-defensive player. And the Steelers maybe don’t commit the five years and everything else.
“There’s a lot of accounting tricks out there in the salary cap world.”
The Steelers are reportedly “pondering” whether or not to make Watt the league’s highest-paid pass rusher, which would also make him the highest paid defensive player in football. It was a no-brainer decision in 2021 when Watt signed a record-extension shortly before the season. At the time, the obstacles included Pittsburgh breaking precedent to offer guaranteed money past the first year, something it had never done for non-quarterbacks until Watt. Now, the issue might be more basic and center on average yearly value.
Myles Garrett’s $40 million per year extension to rescind his trade request and keep him in Cleveland spiked an already emerging pass-rushing market. That deal potentially complicated Watt’s contract, a deal that could be larger than Pittsburgh anticipated handing out.
Using void years or related language could plump the parameters of a Watt contract. But the Steelers are one of the few teams that don’t use void years in contracts with the exception of the COVID era to navigate an unexpectedly contracting salary cap. Void years could be in the crosshairs during future CBA negotiations with commissioner Roger Goodell hinting those tactics have been abused.
Compromise is part of nearly every contract but using “funny money” to get a deal done isn’t a guarantee. Watt’s camp is well-aware of how teams try to structure contracts that look good on paper but are less impressive in reality. Watt will be paid handsomely and can exercise his own leverage. He’s already skipped mandatory minicamp, could hold-in during the regular season, and the Steelers have publicly committed to getting a deal done with Watt.
Omar Khan handled Watt’s last contract, but he wasn’t in the general manager role. This time, he’s doing both (with help of Cole Marcoux, who took over Khan’s title) and will have to navigate the numbers and the media until the deal is done.
