Although Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson have generated far more headlines this offseason, T.J. Watt is a central part of what promises to be a transformative edge rusher year. As expected, the Steelers are readying a second extension.
Fourth-year GM Omar Khan said (via the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly) extending Watt will be a priority. Watt, who said he wants to remain with the Steelers beyond 2025, joins Hendrickson and Micah Parsons as All-Pro edge defenders entering contract years.
It took the Steelers until days before Week 1 to complete a Watt deal in 2021, as the Pennsylvania pass-rushing icon scored three fully guaranteed years — breaking a Steelers non-QB precedent — at that point. With other standouts (Garrett included) on the radar for big-ticket extensions, more complications may be afoot for the Steelers this time around.
Watt’s four-year, $112MM extension held the title for most lucrative EDGE contract for two years, as it took until Nick Bosa‘s holdout produced a $34MM-per-year deal. It took until March 2024 for another player (Brian Burns) to surpass Watt’s $28MM-AAV pact. Bosa remains the only edge player earning more than $29MM per annum. That will almost definitely change this offseason.
Early word about a Watt number has produced a price between $35-$37MM per year, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes. The cap has ballooned by a staggering amount since Watt signed his deal. The COVID-19 pandemic had dropped the 2021 cap $182.5MM. Projections for the 2025 cap have it checking in nearly $100MM north of that place. Some of the league’s best players are in contract years, and their extensions should reflect where the cap has gone.
Garrett, Hendrickson and Parsons’ situations will naturally impact Watt’s. The Pittsburgh superstar is the most decorated player from this contingent, and he is going into an age-31 season. Watt will glide to the Hall of Fame one day, but he remains in his prime. A deal that approaches $40MM per year would not be out of step with a market that could produce some eye-popping numbers before Week 1. As the Bengals are prepared to make Ja’Marr Chase the league’s highest-paid non-QB, the superstar wide receiver will have competition beyond his own position for that title. Justin Jefferson is currently the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, at $35MM per year. It will probably take more for the Steelers to extend Watt.
One of Watt’s practice opponents is again in position-change rumors, as Kaboly adds the Steelers are planning to slide Broderick Jones to the left side. The Steelers’ starter at RT for the past 1 1/2 seasons, Jones was rumored to be heading to LT to challenge Dan Moore Jr. for the past two years. No stiff challenges emerged, as Moore continued to fend off first-round picks.
With Moore expected to depart in free agency and Troy Fautanu returning after missing most of his rookie season, a Pittsburgh line featuring their 2023 and ’24 first-round picks at left and right tackle will be the plan.
Jones has not yet justified the Steelers’ No. 14 overall investment. Pro Football Focus rated the Georgia alum as the 65th overall tackle. He allowed 10 sacks — the third-most in the NFL — in his second season. While the Steelers employing sack-prone QBs in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields did not help either Jones or Moore (NFL-high 12 sacks allowed), the team is counting on Jones to step up. Jones moving to LT, where he has only played 129 snaps, will be his next step, as the 2025 season will largely determine how the Steelers proceed with the Jones’ fifth-year option come 2026.
When will these star players realize that they’ll probably make more money on the open market than signing extensions?
The smart players consider other factors besides just money. Antonio Brown and L’Veon Bell convinced themselves that there were greener pastures outside of Pittsburgh but their careers nose dived after leaving the Steelers.
NFL is all about signing that extension or being tagged.
Free agency is because you weren’t valuable enough to your team
Rarely are NFL free agents much more than short term stop gaps
They really should get rid of the tag. I’d love to see what the NFL offseason would be like if they had something like MLB’s qualifying offer instead.
I think it’s better when guys stay with their teams.
Didn’t they change it so that the 2nd time you tag someone it’s so unaffordable that’s it’s rarely worth it?
Steeler 4 life
Watt is wasted in Pitt. He could be a huge boost with commanders who are way closer to a Super Bowl than Steelers are
The business move is to trade Watt and blow up a core that hasn’t won a playoff game ever but that’s just not what the Steelers do
???
I’m agreeing, as a Steelers fan. The unpopular opinion is to trade him but one that would probably help the team more in the long run.
Oh ok my bad. And yes not for nothing watt is an elite player he is worth a great deal. Why not try to get Garret Wilson and some picks? Or another WR that can help them.
Steelers record is awful when TJ Watt is out
Tomlin needs Watt to carry the D , since he sure as sin isn’t scheming up anything intelligent
Agree 100%
Watt’s a great player but trading him, Minkah, Pickens allows them to rebuild this consistently mediocre team.
But it’ll never happen
I mean, dear God, Tomlin would have an impossible job in getting the team above .500 yet again! That’s apparently all it’s about here
I don’t see Pickens getting moved before season but if his streak continues—giving up on plays, being a diva, not getting separation—he’s gone by trade deadline. Everything else I agree. Steelers are like the current Seahawks. They need a soft reboot/mini-fire sale to be playoff threats
Yeah, and that’s a good term for it. “A soft reboot. “. Not looking for anyone to tank but again, it’s like recording that’s stuck. Every season it’s the same thing with the same problems. Why hold on to superstars with huge contracts?
Sooner or later, the league will realize that they should pay the collective defense more and individual players less.
You can scheme around one player like TJ Watt
If they would’ve spread his $30 million out on three players instead of one it would’ve been better. Their corners were atrocious.