It's rare that NFL teams trade away established All-Pro players, as they are hard to find and even harder to win without. There is too much parity in the league to afford losing players that are true difference makers, which is why the Pittsburgh Steelers chose to pay T.J. Watt this summer despite being in his 30s officially.
The Dallas Cowboys, in their infinite wisdom, chose not to do that with star pass rusher Micah Parsons. He is now on his way to Green Bay, joining the Packers in a massive trade featuring two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. As part of the trade, the three-time All-Pro will sign a four-year, $188 million extension.
That deal not only makes Parsons the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, but it beats Watt's deal by a huge margin. As young and talented as he is, Steelers fans must feel better about Watt's deal after seeing what the Packers will be paying him.
Pittsburgh Steelers feeling good about T.J. Watt's deal after seeing Micah Parsons' huge Packers payday
The Cowboys only have themselves to blame for Parsons no longer being in Dallas, but it's a huge boon for the star edge now that things have played out. Getting $47 million a season when Watt got $41 million is a huge leap, even for a younger and more explosive player.
Now that Watt is comfortably behind Parsons in terms of money, the Steelers have to be feeling good about extending him when they did. The deal is shorter (three new years opposed to four) and keeps what has been a dominant pass rush together for at least a few more seasons.
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If Jerry Jones had come to his senses and signed Parsons early, Watt may have stayed the highest-paid pass rusher in the league for potentially the entire season. Now, all the headlines will be about Parsons and how he performs in Green Bay.
No matter how you feel about the Steelers' chances to compete in 2025, how they handled the Watt deal, and their offseason in general, shows the difference between a no-nonsense organization and one that cares more about being in the news.
Only time will tell if either of these big contracts will work out, but I would much rather be the Packers or the Steelers in this situation.