In what has already been a crazy offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers, there is one lingering issue ahead of training camp getting underway. T.J. Watt is still without a new contract, and he has decided not to attend any of the team’s activities so far.
This stalemate is only getting worse though.
Reports have come out all over the place as to what is holding up the deal. You can find speculation on just about anything, from the Steelers not wanting to pay him as much money as Myles Garrett to the team already actively shopping him in a trade package.
There seems to be some central agreement on the situation now, though. If a deal gets done, Watt will become the highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL, and the deal will at least have similar guarantees to what his last deal had.
However, it seems like a major sticking point has become how much of that contract is guaranteed, and that could be the nail in the coffin for him staying in Pittsburgh this offseason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to find some common ground with T.J. Watt
While no specifics are available on what guarantees Watt wants, one has to figure that while topping out Garrett’s total on his deal is important, he also wants to have more guaranteed money on his deal.
Garrett got over $88 million fully guaranteed at signing, over half of the value of his deal. While the Steelers have started to guarantee money past the first year for star players, that amount of money on an older player could be a real sticking point.
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We also saw Watt fall off late last season. He failed to make the usual splash plays and sacks as the defense as a whole faded. Not saying that is permanent, but the team could be wary of providing him with massive guarantees at this stage of his career.
Rumors have swirled that the Steelers are at least listening to offers for the future Hall of Famer, and in a normal year, I would say that is ludicrous. That said, given how aggressive this team has been in churning over their roster, it isn’t impossible.
I still have hope that a deal gets done between the two sides. Losing Watt after the trims this roster has already made would be a tough pill to swallow. That said, neither side has seemed to budge to this point, and a deal before training camp isn’t a lock.
If he doesn’t get pen to paper, this ordeal could stretch well into the end of summer. Truly, that would be the worst-case scenario.