With Aaron Rodgers on the team, the biggest piece of business left for the Pittsburgh Steelers is giving T.J. Watt a new contract. He’s got one year left on his deal, and he’s made it clear that he wants an extension. Watt skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp, showing how serious he is. He’s the Steelers’ best player, so the two sides reaching an agreement feels inevitable. However, no deal is done yet, which means there’s a disconnect between the two sides.
“The issue with this is this is a big swing with Aaron Rodgers, They know how important the defense is gonna be, they know they need T.J. Watt, and a deal is most likely going to get done,” NFL insider Palmer said Wednesday on Bleacher Report’s YouTube channel. “But the Steelers’ argument is this: that Watt and the defense kind of fell off a little bit the back end of last year.
“He’s had some injuries; he’s battled through them. He’s going to be 31 years old. Do you give $100 million guaranteed to somebody like that? I think that’s where this battle’s going to happen, but I think a deal is going to end up happening.”
It isn’t surprising if guaranteed money is the holdup in these negotiations. The Steelers usually don’t include a lot of guaranteed money in player contracts. Watt’s 2021 deal actually broke a precedent the Steelers had about guaranteed money. However, this time around, they not be as willing to do that again.
Watt wants job security, and more guaranteed money should help him get that. However, like Palmer says, Watt isn’t a spring chicken anymore. He turns 31 this season, and while he’s only suffered one major injury in his career, he’s dealt with other bumps and bruises. That kind of wear and tear could start to add up.
Also, Watt didn’t have his best season last year. While he recorded a league-leading six forced fumbles, he also only posted 11.5 sacks. Toward the end of the year, he was less effective, being held without a sack over the Steelers’ last three games of the season.
However, Watt was still excellent, and he deserves to be properly compensated for his work. It’s fair for the Steelers to be hesitant to give so much guaranteed money to one player, but Watt is worth it. Without him, the Steelers are a much worse team. Paying him might be risky, but it’s the right move. Most reports indicate a deal will eventually get done, so the Steelers likely know that, too.
