The Steelers and T.J. Watt are reportedly in the midst of strenuous negotiations over what should've been a preordained contract extension.
How in the world did this happen?
All summer long, Watt was expected to sign with the Steelers. He showed up to training camp, but did not actually practice. It was a "sit-in" of sorts, with the seeming tacit approval of Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff.
But he's still unsigned, and we're just five days away from the start of the regular season. That's significant, because the Steelers have an unofficial policy of not negotiating contracts once the season starts, and apparently exceptions aren't made.
Even for the potential NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
There's no discernible reason why Watt shouldn't already be tied to the Steelers for several more years. He wants to be the highest-paid defensive player in the league, and he's worth the money. Through his first four seasons, Watt has 49.5 sacks and 17 forced fumbles — to go along with four interceptions.
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 is also enjoying a better start to his career than multiple Hall of Famers. Bruce Smith, the all-time leader in sacks, racked up 44.5 through his first four seasons. Kevin Greene had 30, and Lawrence Taylor had 37.5
The Steelers need to get with the times and pay Watt his money. With the salary cap projected to explode in the coming years, he probably wouldn't be the highest-paid defensive player for long, anyway.
In fact, Watt's contract may even look like a semi-bargain several years down the line. The NFL's new $113 billion media rights deal is expected to change the landscape.
The Steelers have broken their self-imposed rules before. As The Fan's Andrew Fillipponi points out, they dealt a first-round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Last year was the first time since 1967 the Steelers didn't possess a first round pick.
Teams should do all they can to satisfy elite talent. Look at the Bills, who signed Josh Allen to a record-breaking $258 million contract last month. That deal is far riskier than anything the Steelers would give Watt, but Allen is a great quarterback, and the Bills need him to win.
The Steelers need Watt to anchor their defense.
There's still time for an agreement to be reached before Sunday. The Steelers signed Cam Heyward to a four-year, $71.4 million extension just days before the start of the 2020 campaign.
But there are some ominous signs this thing is going in the wrong direction. Despite being named captain last year, Watt was curiously left off this year's list, and once didn't again participate in practice Monday.
NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reports negotiations have been "extremely difficult."
That's absurd. The Steelers shouldn't be haggling with Watt over money. These talks should've been completed long ago.
