Not that long ago, Myles Garrett requested a trade from the Browns because winning was important to him. Now, he's staying in Cleveland after receiving a four-year extension worth $40 million per year and comes with $122.8 million in total guaranteed money.
The biggest impact this has on the Steelers isn't the fact that Garrett will remain in the AFC North, but how it affects negotiations with T.J. Watt about a contract extension.
Watt is about to enter the final year of his four-year, $122-million extension he signed ahead of the 2021 season, which went into effect in 2022. At the time, that contract made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league. But, as it is with players entering the final year of a contract, now's the time to start working on another extension.
Should the Steelers handle Watt the same way this time, he's about to get a huge boost in pay. And, there's plenty of reason to think they'd be willing to give him a very rich contract. Everyone in the organization thinks the world of Watt and want to keep him in Pittsburgh.
"T.J.'s one of those legacy guys," Omar Khan said at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. "I was around Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu. Those guys played their entire careers (here). That's a special thing. I'm hopeful and confident that T.J. will be one of those guys."
Typically, those type of contract negotiations are handled much later, usually in the summer and can leak well into training camp. Before Watt signed his current extension, he was a hold-in at training camp and didn't sign until a few days prior to that season's opener in Buffalo.
Khan wouldn't tip his hand on how negotiations will be handled this time. Watt is set to carry a $30.4-million cap hit this season. Khan could be advantageous and use a new contract to create extra cap space. That would, on top of the current $63.8 million of wiggle room under the cap, give Khan even more ammunition in free agency to upgrade the roster. But, there's no telling when a potential extension may be coming.
"I don't want to get into the details of that," Khan said in Indianapolis. "It's been different depending on the circumstances that persist. But, T.J.'s been a big part of this team. I'm confident and hopeful he'll be here for a long time."
Even if Watt's new contract doesn't top Garrett's mega deal, it still has a major impact on how much Watt will be paid. Needless to say, it'll be well more than the $28 million per year he received four years ago.
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
5:02 pm - 03.09.2025DowntownGarrett's extension resets price for Watt
Not that long ago, Myles Garrett requested a trade from the Browns because winning was important to him. Now, he's staying in Cleveland after receiving a four-year extension worth $40 million per year and comes with $122.8 million in total guaranteed money.
The biggest impact this has on the Steelers isn't the fact that Garrett will remain in the AFC North, but how it affects negotiations with T.J. Watt about a contract extension.
Watt is about to enter the final year of his four-year, $122-million extension he signed ahead of the 2021 season, which went into effect in 2022. At the time, that contract made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league. But, as it is with players entering the final year of a contract, now's the time to start working on another extension.
Should the Steelers handle Watt the same way this time, he's about to get a huge boost in pay. And, there's plenty of reason to think they'd be willing to give him a very rich contract. Everyone in the organization thinks the world of Watt and want to keep him in Pittsburgh.
"T.J.'s one of those legacy guys," Omar Khan said at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. "I was around Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu. Those guys played their entire careers (here). That's a special thing. I'm hopeful and confident that T.J. will be one of those guys."
Typically, those type of contract negotiations are handled much later, usually in the summer and can leak well into training camp. Before Watt signed his current extension, he was a hold-in at training camp and didn't sign until a few days prior to that season's opener in Buffalo.
Khan wouldn't tip his hand on how negotiations will be handled this time. Watt is set to carry a $30.4-million cap hit this season. Khan could be advantageous and use a new contract to create extra cap space. That would, on top of the current $63.8 million of wiggle room under the cap, give Khan even more ammunition in free agency to upgrade the roster. But, there's no telling when a potential extension may be coming.
"I don't want to get into the details of that," Khan said in Indianapolis. "It's been different depending on the circumstances that persist. But, T.J.'s been a big part of this team. I'm confident and hopeful he'll be here for a long time."
Even if Watt's new contract doesn't top Garrett's mega deal, it still has a major impact on how much Watt will be paid. Needless to say, it'll be well more than the $28 million per year he received four years ago.
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Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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