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A recent report suggested that Pittsburgh Steelers star edge rusher T.J. Watt could get a contract that exceeds $40 million per year, but an NFL insider has since refuted it.
Bleacher Report insider James Palmer said that he was hearing there's a chance that Watt could get a bigger annual average than Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett, whose $40 million AAV is currently tops among edge rushers.
"I'm hearing there's a chance Watt gets past $40 million (per year)," Palmer reported. "He has every right to ask for it. I've talked on here a lot about the comparisons between him and Myles Garrett.
"The numbers are almost identical in every aspect in terms of superlatives and in terms of numbers, and they came in the same draft class," he added.
During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Friday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said he isn't hearing Watt could get that much.
Rapoport adds that there is "nothing imminent" in terms of a deal getting done, but thinks it the two sides will eventually agree to something.
"I still believe it's going to work out," Rapoport said. "But I hadn't heard that number. And I hadn't heard that anything is imminent."
Watt is no doubt one of the best edge rushers in the game, and only one player, Trey Hendrickson, has more sacks than him since 2023. However, Watt is also one year older than Garrett, and he's coming off a down season, two things that could hurt Watt's chances of landing a top-of-the-market deal.
On the flip side, Watt is the heart and soul of the Steelers' defense and the team can ill-afford to lose him.
The overwhelming sentiment has been that Watt and the Steelers will eventually get something done, as Rapoport said. But until that happens, the situation remains a huge concern for Pittsburgh.
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