Pro Football Rumors
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...
