As training camp rolls on for the Pittsburgh Steelers, there has been one glooming cloud hovering over the team headlines.
When will T.J. Watt sign a new contract, and how much will it be worth?
According to NFL writer John Clayton, the contract could make Watt the highest paid defensive player in the league.
When asked how high the number could go, Clayton said the price tag could reach as high as $25 million/year.
"I'm kind of figuring $23-$24 million dollars maybe $25 million dollars a year."
Ultimately, Clayton landed on the around $23 to $24 million number which wouldn't make him the highest paid defensive player based on average annual value (AAV), but it would be close.
Aaron Donald makes an AAV of $22.5 million, and Myles Garrett hits an AAV of $25 million.
Joey Bosa has the highest AAV among defenders at $27 million.
Regardless of the outcome in price, the odds are Watt will become one of the highest paid defenders in the NFL.
But when will that deal get signed?
Clayton does believe that Watt will sign a deal within a week or two.
The Steelers as an organization would like to have their top defender on the field for games and practice, and Watt believes he can become Defensive Player of the Year.
To earn that award, he would have to play the games, and Watt does currently have a contract for the 2021 NFL Season.
