The Pittsburgh Steelers' contract extension talks with T.J. Watt have officially reached an unhealthy level. After The Las Vegas Raiders beat Steelers general manager Omar Khan to the punch with a record-breaking extension for edge rusher Maxx Crosby, the Cleveland Browns caught us off guard with an earth-shattering Myles Garrett extension.
Garrett, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year and 2024 DPOY finalist, requested a trade from the Browns in February. Garrett's future with the team looked murky until he inked the biggest contract ever handed out to a non-quarterback.
On Sunday, ESPN Insider Adam Schefter reported that Garrett had signed a contract extension with the Browns, including a whopping $40 million per season and $123.5 million in guarantees.
Steelers fans can't help but think about how this will impact T.J. Watt's negotaions with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers will ay the ultimate tax on T.J. Watt deal after Myles Garrett's contract extension with the Cleveland Browns.
We all wanted the Pittsburgh Steelers to be the first team to act on a contract extension with their star edge rusher. Letting the Raiders beat them to the punch on Crosby's deal was bad enough, but things got a lot worse for Khan and company after Garrett's extension.
Not only did Garrett unsurprisingly surpass Crosby in terms of average annual earnings ($40 million compared to $35.5 million), but he crushed Crosby's contract numbers and reset the edge rusher market like we've never seen before.
Because of this, the Steelers will be forced to pay the ultimate tax on Watt's new deal. Watt's agent will use Garrett's contract as a talking point in negotiations. Though Garrett is younger than Watt and coming off a stronger season, Watt has been more productive in recent years and his resume is unmatched among all active NFL edge rushers.
This means we should expect Watt to make at least as much as Garrett in average annual earnings (and likely more). But fans shouldn't breathe a sigh of relief yet. Competing with the Steelers to get their best player paid is the Dallas Cowboys. All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons needs an extension, and if the Steelers don't beat the Cowboys to the table, the price will go up again.
We've entered unhealthy territory with T.J. Watt in contract negotiations. It's unlikely the Pittsburgh Steelers will ever get their money's worth out of Watt's new contract. Their star player turns 31 years old early in the 2025 season, and the Steelers will be paying for past production, not for what they think Watt will be in his 30s.
Unfortunately, this is the nature of the business in the NFL. Brace yourself, Steelers fans. Watt's contract extension is going to blow your mind.