Steelers players are standing up for T.J. Watt.
Do you think Art Rooney III can hear them in the owner's suite?
Cameron Heyward became the latest Steelers captain Thursday to advocate for Watt, saying the dominant pass-rusher deserves a major raise.
"We all feel like T.J. should be paid," Heyward said. "He's put in the time and the work. He's a productive player. His injury history — he's been out here, he doesn't miss much games. He's a game-changer. And my conversations with him are, he should be paid. It's not anything to gloss over."
On Wednesday, Ben Roethlisberger also voiced support for Watt in his quest for a new deal. The Steelers QB even said reserving cap room for players like Watt is one of the reasons why he returned on a discounted deal (he took a $5 million pay cut).
"I think T.J. should get whatever the heck he wants," Roethlisberger said. "He's arguably the best football player in the game right now, not just on defense, just in general."
These calls haven't propelled the Steelers to act, because Watt is still without his extension. That leaves just three days before the start of the regular season, which is an unofficial deadline of sorts.
The Steelers historically don't negotiate contracts in the middle of the season. The only bright side is a report from NFL Media's Ian Rapoport about the sides remaining in communication.
The era of athlete empowerment in pro sports has spread to the NFL, where star quarterbacks, such as Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson, are suddenly comfortable publicly criticizing their teams. While it's not unusual to see players advocate for one of their teammates to get paid, Roethlisberger and Heyward's bluntness is noteworthy. Neither star player is holding back: They demand T.J. Watt get his money.
Watt should be the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, or at least one of them. He's a better player than Joey Bosa and Myles Garrett, the two highest-paid defenders in the NFL. When Bosa signed his historic $135 million deal last August, he had 40 sacks and five forced fumbles in his first four seasons.
Garrett had 30.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in his career when he inked his $125 million deal.
Watt, meanwhile, has 49.5 sacks, 17 forced fumbles, and four interceptions.
The NFL pendulum slants towards the team in nearly every negotiation, and this one is no different. The Steelers could technically control Watt for three more years, since they could franchise him for two seasons.
Some Steelers fans are inexplicably rooting for that. Watt is probably going to be an elite defensive player for more than three years. Don't you want him around for the entirety of his prime?
Watt was a full participant in practice Wednesday, and Mike Tomlin said he expects the NFL's sack leader to be on the field Sunday. Once the games begin, this issue will likely fade to the background.
But the Steelers shouldn't just exercise their leverage for the sake of a power trip. They should listen to their own captains: pay T.J. Watt.
The organization's reputation amongst players may depend on it.
