With Aaron Rodgers under contract, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ focus shifts to securing a contract extension with T.J. Watt. Both sides seem aligned on working toward a deal, but they obviously aren’t on the same page with the finer details. T.J. Watt tried to ratchet up the pressure by skipping mandatory minicamp in an escalation from his last round of contract negotiations in 2021.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette insider Gerry Dulac discussed the ongoing negotiations in his weekly Steelers chat this morning.
“They want to extend T.J., and likely will, but I’m telling you it’s going to be a tough process,” he wrote. “They have to be careful about making smart business decisions.”
Just because the Cleveland Browns decided to blow everybody away with a $40 million APY contract for Myles Garrett, doesn’t automatically mean the Steelers have to follow suit. The Browns haven’t exactly been the model of doing things the right way over the years. But Watt’s camp is no doubt using that as a key negotiating point, especially when comparing his production to Garrett’s over the last several seasons.
So what are some of the key considerations on the Steelers’ side when deciding whether to give him another record-breaking deal? For one, Watt’s dip in production at the end of last season has to be considered.
After a great start to the season with 4.5 sacks over the first five games, he only had two over the last six games, including the playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Watt completely disappeared down the stretch as the Steelers’ defense fell apart leading to five-straight losses.
He was, by far, the most-chipped pass rusher in the league last year, according to Pro Football Focus. Offensive coordinators routinely talked about having a plan for Watt, and they proved that it was possible to limit his impact with enough attention shifted his way. Watt and the Steelers seem committed to fixing that by moving him around the defense, but there is no getting around the lowest full-season sack total since his rookie season.
Those concerns seem to be the sticking point for the Steelers in this process.
“That’s what the Steelers are pondering,” Dulac wrote.
They also have a powerful negotiating weapon in the form of the franchise tag for the 2026 season. One reader asked Dulac if the Steelers have all the power because of the tag.
“It exists all right. And they do,” Dulac wrote.
It would be a bad look for both sides. The Steelers would be franchise tagging the face of their franchise who has given them eight great years, while Watt would likely hold out and absorb all the negativity that comes with that. The franchise tag is the average of the top five salaries at the position. So when you’re talking about someone potentially due to get a record-breaking contract the tag ends up being cheaper. But that is a fully guaranteed number with no additional years to spread out the cap hit. It wouldn’t be ideal for the Steelers.
I don’t think there is any world where it comes to the tag, but the Steelers do have it in their tool belt. And both sides are aware of that reality.
Regardless of whether Watt tops Garrett’s $40 million per year contract, the Steelers will be giving out the largest contract in franchise history. This comes while they are grappling with an impending rebuild over the next few seasons as guys like Watt and Cameron Heyward age out of the league. Making a smart business decision right now with Watt is crucial to a smooth transition into the next era.
The complexities of the deal could push things into August.
“Won’t be before training camp,” Dulac wrote of a new Watt contract.
Watt’s last deal came at the eleventh hour just before the start of the 2021 season. He staged a hold-in at training camp to avoid fines and the deadline ultimately spurred action. It’s possible something similar could happen this time around. But the longer the Steelers wait, the higher the risk is of Micah Parsons adding another tool to Watt’s negotiation tool belt.
