The Steelers and TJ Watt were in a contract dispute with one another before the season. It may be over, but it felt as if there is no end in sight at that time.
Now, before we get to it, it should be noted that the fact that he shared a picture of himself signing autographs for Steeler fans pregame on his Instagram story last Wednesday could have been taken as a hint of him signing the extension soon. And while he did not play in the preseason or participate in the team portions of training camp, he was in negotiations all along.
The initial reports were that Watt was holding out of practice ahead of the Steelers’ season opener against the Bills, not wanting to risk injury until he has a contract in place.
However, it feels as if the Steelers have a tendency to be more stubborn.
Some have noted that the Steelers almost never give out contract extensions midseason. Safe to say, had the Steelers not gave Watt his contract extension before the season opener, he probably would not have gotten one until after the season. And it made Steelers fans nervous.
Ben Roethlisberger sent a clear message to the Steelers: To pay Watt, to pay him what he wants, and pay him now:
I think TJ should get whatever the heck he wants. He’s arguably the best football player in the game right now, not just on defense, just in general. One of the reasons I took less money was for guys like him to get paid, and he needs to get paid. He deserves every penny that he wants and asks for TJ Watt is that guy that should get whatever he wants.
Note that Big Ben willingly took a pay cut to reduce his salary by $5M when he agreed to restructure his contract that freed up $15M in cap space for the 2021 season. He has been through four contract extensions and three restructures ever since he was drafted in 2004.
The Steelers have traditionally only guaranteed signing bonuses in new deals, essentially guaranteeing only the first year. After that, the organization typically restructures deals to give players more guaranteed money and security that way, rather than incurring the costs up front.
Roethlisberger added, “The problem is, when you negotiate a new contract, it’s two-sided. When the bosses and the higher ups are in charge, there’s only so much you can do. So we all feel bad for TJ. Everyone knows how bad he wants to be out there. He was here every single day and he didn’t need to be, working, busting his butt. He should get taken care of. ... There’s a lot of young guys who don’t understand the process because they haven’t been through it. That’s why I think I’m able to speak with TJ a little bit and talk to him. But the feeling in the room is that we all know how great he is and what he deserves.”
Roethlisberger has been through the negotiating process multiple times with the Steelers, and said that he has talked with Watt through the process. He was in a unique situation, one only few others on the 53-man roster can speak from.
It would have been his experience in these contract negotiations with the Steelers’ front office. He understands what the Steelers would want, and knows that the team cannot afford to lose a premium defensive player to free agency.
The stalemate really needed to come to an end, and when it comes to keeping him long-term, you can quickly draw a long list of positives. Some big reasons on re-signing him are as follows:
#1: You Cannot Let Your Best Player Walk
Doing this is just a bad look for your team. Frankly, it can shatter the moral of a locker room and lead to more players wanting out. The most recent example was with the Jets. After Jamal Adams requested and was granted a trade, a lot of the other players also wanted out. Had the Steelers let Watt walk, it could have led to Minkah Fitzpatrick possibly also wanting out, who is looking to be a top paid player in his position next season. There could be a snowball effect that could gut the roster.
#2: You Can Afford QB Money to a Non-QB
While the Steelers don’t have any QBs under contract for the 2022 season, even if Roethlisberger re-ups next season, it would be for considerably less than what he is being paid currently, and it would only be a short-term deal. Should the Steelers draft a QB, they would have 4 or 5 years of a rookie contract, which should follow Watt’s extension nicely. This is the time for the Steelers to have an expensive defender sign a new contract. Regardless of how it pans out, this is a deal you want to have done regardless, and the Steelers are in the situation for doing it now.
#3: Edge Defenders are a Premium Position
Edge rushers have a large impact in the game. This is a position that good teams have good/great players in. If you have a bad pass rush, it also means you also have a bad team. Getting after the opposing teams’ quarterback directly relates to the final scores of games and not only has Watt led the league in sacks, it consistently puts pressure on the quarterback. He is one of, if not the best, edge rusher in the league and keeping him in Pittsburgh makes them a Steelers a better team.
#4: You Can’t Lose Dupree and Watt in Consecutive Offseasons
The Steelers already lost a great edge rusher in Bud Dupree. Losing both in consecutive offseasons is bad management. You either keep Dupree for $17M per year or make Watt the highest paid defender. There is no in between here. The Steelers always have a plan, so letting Dupree walk screams that there will be an extension for Watt. If that doesn’t happen, that’s bad management.
#5: Losing Him Makes the Steelers a Lot Worse
TJ Watt forces teams to game plan strictly for him. Whether it be double teams or running the ball away from him, he is their most valuable player on defense. Letting him go would spread the opposition around the Steelers defense and would let them get torched all over the field. Keeping Watt would stop this from happening.
This was not the first time where a contract negotiation between the Steelers and one of their best defenders came down to the wire. Cam Heyward signed with the Steelers six days before the kickoff, Stephon Tuitt four days before kickoff, and Troy Polamalu on the day of kickoff. Is this a reason for hope?
Indeed it is, as a new contract was there. And indeed, he became the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL: 4 years, $112M, which translates to making $28M per year. Plus, the Steelers are paying him $80M in guaranteed money, so they indeed made an exception for him when it comes to their policy of not handing out contracts that include guaranteed money past the first year.
He reportedly overruled his agents, who believed that they could get more money from other teams, in favor of staying with Pittsburgh, as he marched into the office of Steelers team president Art Rooney II and told him they had a deal. Then he excused himself and announced he had to go work out.
Who needs practice? Apparently not him. Just two days removed from him officially signing a contract, he showed he is worth every penny of it. He played a huge role in the Steelers’ 23-16 upset win over the Bills, with two sacks and five QB hits, including a forced fumble.
The biggest win for him? No injuries. He didn’t limp or grimace his way off the field or through the tunnel. Even after training camp without hitting and only three practices during which he saw action in team periods, he felt “fresh” after his first game action of the season.
To help with it, the Steelers employed a three-man rotation at outside linebacker similar to what they used last season with him, Bud Dupree, and Alex Highsmith. Now, they’re doing it with Watt, Highsmith, and Melvin Ingram.
The first sack, a strip sack of Josh Allen, was recovered by defensive captain Cam Heyward and went down as the Steelers’ only takeaway, adding to Watt’s league-high 18 forced fumbles since he entered the league in 2017. Later, in the 4th quarter, he teamed up with Heyward again to sack him again, setting up Miles Killebrew’s blocked punt recovered by Ulysses Gilbert III for a touchdown on the next play.
Roethlisberger said of him, “Were you surprised? Me either. Just shows you that the preseason is overrated.”
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