The Pittsburgh Steelers are clawing open a Super Bowl window. During a time when the NFL is largely expected to go into hibernation with minicamps in the rearview mirror and training camps still weeks away from opening, Pittsburgh has instead decided to turn the league on its head with a blockbuster trade days before the Fourth of July. The club struck a deal with the Miami Dolphins to acquire both cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, along with a swap of Day 3 2027 draft picks.
While the Steelers have made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, this move helps inch them closer toward making a deeper push in the postseason and becoming a legit factor in the AFC. Of course, it’s the latest in what has been a busy offseason for Pittsburgh. They initially made waves with the trade for former Seattle Seahawks star receiver DK Metcalf, and then later shipped fellow receiver George Pickens to Dallas and signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers in free agency.
All of that has kept GM Omar Khan busy throughout the spring and early summer, but there’s still one major item left on his offseason to-do list even as the dust settles on this latest blockbuster: Signing T.J. Watt to an extension.
Watt is entering the final year of his contract as the two sides have yet to come to terms on an extension that’ll keep the star pass rusher in Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future. The 30-year-old did not attend mandatory minicamp amid his desire for a new contract, so things do appear to be a bit volatile at the moment. And the longer the Steelers wait to come to terms, the more risk they run of things devolving to a point of no return in a similar fashion to what is occurring in Cincinnati between the Bengals and fellow pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
That said, getting a Watt extension done is no easy endeavor, as it could very well be the richest non-quarterback deal in NFL history or close to it. Back in 2021, when Watt first signed his current deal, it made him the league’s highest-paid defensive player with a $28 million AAV. Fast-forward to the present day, and Watt ranks as the ninth highest-paid defensive player. Six players make at least $30 million per season, while Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett makes a record $40 million in AAV.
Given the current market, Watt will likely need to get north of $35 million per year to even think about signing an extension. Since inking his current deal, Watt has been named to the Pro Bowl four times, been an All-Pro three times (two first-team nods), and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. He also finished in the top four in DPOY voting in each of the last two seasons, so the production does warrant a sizable new deal.
According to Spotrac’s figures, the Steelers will have about $97.3 million in cap space next offseason (fourth-most in the NFL). Even with some of that space needing to go towards the quarterback position with Aaron Rodgers only signed through 2026, they should have enough flexibility to work a Watt extension in.
With these prior moves, Pittsburgh is telling the rest of the NFL that it intends to seriously contend in 2025. To reach their highest potential, they’ll need Watt as a key fixture on the depth chart, so hammering out this extension sooner rather than later is the next big step Khan and the front office need to make before going full steam towards the regular season.
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Author: Tyler Sullivan
June 30, 2025 | 1:40 pm
