T.J. Watt’s future with the Pittsburgh Steelers has never been more uncertain.
The superstar edge rusher is entering the final year of his deal in 2025 and is seeking an extension from the team. However, negotiations between Watt and the Steelers aren’t going well, and it led to him skipping mandatory minicamp in June.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter even added that Watt is unhappy with his contract situation, and though the Steelers have no intentions of trading the All-Pro pass rusher, teams have been discussing the possibility.
Watt hasn’t been very vocal about his contract situation recently, but we received an update from Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on Tuesday, Dulac said that Watt wants to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL in his new contract, and his deal will have to be over five years so Pittsburgh can spread the money out.
“The stalemate is going to be that T.J. Watt wants to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league,” Dulac said on The Rich Eisen Show on Tuesday. “And the Steelers are looking at it that he’s age 31. In order to accommodate any kind of large contract, it can’t be a three-year deal, it has to be a five-year deal because you need to spread the money out.”
Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals is currently the highest-paid non-quarterback in football, as he signed a four-year extension worth $161 million with the Bengals in March. That means Watt is seeking a deal worth over $40 million annually, and if the Steelers want to do a deal for five years, Watt’s total contract number would exceed $200 million.
Watt is getting older and didn’t post prolific sack numbers in 2024. However, the seven-time Pro Bowler is more than deserving of a historic deal, and he still has a few years of high-level play left in him. We’ll see if the Steelers and Watt can strike an agreement on an extension soon.
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