PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – DECEMBER 15: T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers jumps in the air as he runs onto the field before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Heinz Field on December 15, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
TJ Watt Resets Market: The Steelers and edge rusher TJ Watt finalized a contract extension that makes him the highest paid non-quarterback in the NFL. The 30 year old gets a 3 year extension for $123 million dollars. It comes with $108 million guaranteed and his $41 million annual average tops Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and Browns edge Myles Garrett who both reached 40 million a year with their recent contracts. Watt's previous contract reset the non-quarterback market as well.
Moving forward this puts pressure on the Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to get a deal done with edge rusher/linebacker Micah Parsons. Jones believes himself to be a financial guru and portends himself to be the smartest guy in any room. But history shows him to be clueless by dragging on contract negotiations with his star players, sometimes for years. The market for these players only becomes more expensive by waiting. He could have reached a cheaper deal with Parsons months ago after they wrapped up deals with quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver Cee Dee Lamb. Now the two sides will probably reset the market whenever they reach an accord.
TJ WATT RESETS MARKET
Meanwhile, the Bengals and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are nowhere close to a deal. He still has a year left on his old contract. But he outperformed that deal by leading the NFL in sacks with 34 over the past two years. He clearly wants to be paid for his efforts and will be holding out during Bengals camp.
But as TJ Watt resets the market, the one player who really stands to benefit the most is Lions edge rusher Aiden Hutchinson. The new Lions have a habit of taking care of their own when it comes to contract time. Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell have all reached massive contract extensions. Hutch is up next. However, the Lions may want to see how he bounces back this year from a gruesome leg injury in 2024. If all goes well, expect Hutchinson to reset the non-quarterback market.
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