4 reasons Steelers may not re-sign T.J. Watt to a second contract

Here are four reasons that the Steelers will not sign Watt to an extension

There is little argument that the Steelers selected one of, if not the, best defensive player from the 2017 draft when they selected T.J. Watt at the end of the first round. That production has set him up to earn a mega-contract soon, as he is set to play on his fifth-year option this year. While the team will certainly try to resign him, there is little to guarantee that he locks himself into a long-term deal with the team. Here are the four reasons the Steelers may not be able to resign Watt.

Important to note

To be clear before laying out this argument, this in no way me saying that the Steelers won’t aggressively try to get Watt onto a new contract at some point this offseason. He has been one of the most dominant pass rushers since entering the league, and that is a position that is well worth the money. Despite Watt likely wanting a contract that will pay him close to 30 million dollars a season, the team would be foolish to simply wash their hands of him and allow him to sign elsewhere.

The issue becomes Watt himself. While he seems to enjoy the team and the city, there are reasons that he may want to move on after his rookie contract. If he is set on leaving, the team won’t have many options. Sure, a franchise tag could keep him around for another season or two, but he could still work his way out of the team. This isn’t arguing that the Steelers will not pursue Watt. It is arguing that he may want to play elsewhere on his next deal.