Will TJ Watt get an extension before the regular season starts?

Way too much money. I would tag him next year and then let him walk and we get 6 great years from him.

Who knows, TJ may want to test FA ? It`s not like we are winning Super Bowls.

 

The thing that worries me is that every single large amount contract the Steelers have given out in the last what 15 years or so they have immediately restructured it to create cap space and kicked the can down the road until the only option is pay a huge amount in the final year of the contract like Ben this year or dump the player and take the dead money hit. It was killing the team with dead money

 

That’s fine on paper but there is just no way TJ would accept that, nor should he. He would undoubtedly hold out and the whole thing would be a total mess.

TJ has been a model pro since he got to Pittsburgh and he deserves to be one of the highest paid defensive players in football. Problem is the market has gone crazy. $30m for a pass rusher is just not worth it from a team building perspective unless you have a superstar QB on a rookie deal to offset the cost

 

I don’t actually hate that strategy at all as long as you are in a Super Bowl window, which they were from probably 2015-2018 or thereabouts. Most contenders are continually reworking contracts and pushing money out.

Remember the chiefs after that Super Bowl in 2020. They had like $500 in cap space and the narrative was that they couldn’t hold the team together, Mahomes would be on his own etc. Within weeks they had given Mahomes, Kelce and Jones market setting contracts with megabucks kicked down the road. They are going to be continually behind the curve with the cap as they chase more trophies, they’ll probably have to restructure Mahomes every year. They’ll have to reset and swallow all the dead money at some point but so what

 

Franchise tag him and Tj will never sign long term with the Steelers and will be PO’d the whole time. Maybe that’s all for the best, but it ain’t the supposed Stiller Way.

 

Gee, that sounds familiar. Seems like a certain local team has acted this way for several yrs now. Most fans knew this, and had no problem with it. Suspect they think the same way in KC now.

 

If you are in a window kick that can hard down the road IMO

KC are going to be in a window for a while because of Mahomes. If they continue to draft well he should win 3-4 Super Bowls, albeit we need to remember we all said that about Rodgers and the Packers after 2010-11 too.

 

there are no guarantees. And you have to make the most of your opportunities while you have them. But sometimes you’re kicking the can down the road only for appearance sake. Exhibit A: Pittsburgh Steelers since ‘17 ; Exhibit B: Pittsburgh Penguins since ‘18

 

Lol I don’t know much about the penguins. I think it was reasonable in 2018-19 and even last year to go for it but I do think this offseason was the time to start rebuilding. It’s very unlikely they are winning another Super Bowl with Ben.

I guess they are kind of rebuilding anyway given all the turnover on the roster but they’ve done all these void year deals that are going to hamstring them going forward and drafting a RB in Rd 1 when they are old or unproven at all the important positions was very questionable

 

Unless you’re a friend of TJ’s that’s speculation at best. Anyway I was saying it’s an option. If he plays hardball with his asking price the Steelers my be forced to franchise him. I’m sure we’ll know soon enough what the plan is.
Bud was franchised and I never heard him complain?

 

Was Buds situation comparable? He hadn’t performed anywhere near TJ’s level. People were complaining about him getting the fifth year option the previous year. He did perform in 2019 but he was in no position to hold the team to ransom even at that stage because he was replaceable.

TJ has been a DPOY candidate two years running and was the most underpaid player in the league last year. It really is decision time now for the team. They were lucky he didn’t make a fuss last year when lesser players from his draft class were getting paid by other teams.

 

Good points. Maybe using Bud wasn’t the best example. My point still stands about the OP not possibly knowing how TJ will react to the franchise tag. I’d rather they just get a deal that works for both sides done before this season starts.

 

What he said!! For Dupee, the franchise tag was big money. He had no reason to expect it, even after his fourth yr. Tj sights will be on Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett money, to him the franchise tag will be disrespect. And his brother will make sure the world knows it. The tags an option, maybe the teams best option. But he won’t like it.

 

I doubt they have a cash flow problem, I think each team gets over 300 million from revenue sharing agreement.

 

Revenue was down over 30% in 2020 by all accounts. I was only guessing that it may be a factor, and you are hopefully correct.

They have always tended to go with minimal guarantees when re-signing star players. That’s not going to wash any more I expect.

 

Say they sign TJ and he gets a $50m signing bonus like Myles Garrett did. They have to make good on $50 mil on signing day, even if they can ‘expense’ it over the 6-7 yr contract life for salary cap purposes. So they need to have $50 mil up front, and all their other expenses are still there. Sure they’ll get the cash, they can take a loan, they can tell the minority owners their dividend will be a little smaller, they may defer other investments. They’ll very likely post a paper profit the year of the contract extension. But very companies, even those with a few billion in revenue, have $50mil lying around in petty cash.

 

The Steelers only give out big signing bonus money to the franchise QB, I doubt TJ would get that much from the Steelers in bonus money.

 

ugh what a nightmare, I didn't realize that's what he was waiting for

 

Ok, maybe your right. But Myles Garrett got $50 M in signing money. You thing TJ will take less? If youre right, franchise him and keep him until he quits or breaks down. But don’t expect TJ to show up for his walk of honor ceremony.

 

No You all said it.
LoL.
I'm Nostradamus.
I did say 2 everyone that said it....We will see.
It's freaking hard 2 win a SB. Especially if Your Qb is taking such a big piece of the pie.
Like I said before. That's why I hope ravens, and browns pay their Qbs like 70 million a year.

 

If you all remember the Steelers have always paid their superstar players
market price. And will always. There are some exceptions mainly because of position the player played, hell they wanted to give a RB
a 14 million dollar/year. Thank God they did not. I look for a tough deal to be worked out. And then Minka, Yoy and double yoy.

 

Finally a reasonable take. People act like it's their money. If they do TJ dirty, don't expect Minkah to sign long term, either.

 

Garrett and Watt play 2 different positions, just because another team paid a huge signing bonus, doesn't mean the Steelers will do the same.

 

Times they are a changin. Steelers will offer TJ a guaranteed sum that is a market leader, watch.

 

Folks some of you might be too young to remember, but the Rooney's
owned Yonkers raceway in NY and several large investments in NC. Now there not in Paul Allen's league
They are not poppers, I am sure they are billionaires also. Just like all NFL owners they
make millions on TV contracts alone.