Chris Lengthy Thinks It Would Be A ‘Actual Disgrace’ If T.J. Watt Does not ‘Get Paid’, Finish Profession With Steelers

This offseason has been a wild ride in many ways for the Pittsburgh Steelers. One of the newest roller coasters they’ve taken a seat on revolves around T.J. Watt. The star edge rusher, and the lifeline of the roster over the last few years, is heading into the final year of his deal, one that severely underpays him, compared to other edge rushers of his caliber. Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday, former NFL defensive lineman Chris Long thinks it would be a shame if Watt doesn’t end his career in Pittsburgh.

“T.J. Watt is supposed to retire a Steeler,” Long said. “He’s just one of those iconic players to me… That’s how he’s supposed to come in, and that’s how he’s supposed to go out. And it would be a real shame if he wasn’t able to go out a Steeler, because he didn’t get paid what he was deserved to get paid… He’s not an ego guy, but eventually you look at it like, ‘come on’.”

For what it’s worth, it still remains likely that Watt ends up signing another long-term deal with Pittsburgh. That’s what all of the reporting suggests so far. And all things considered, it really is a deal that Pittsburgh needs to figure out. There’s some promise on offense, but too many questions to feel especially confident about the unit.

If the Steelers are going to have a successful year, it’s likely going to be thanks to their defense. And any strong defensive play we’ve seen from Pittsburgh in recent years starts with Watt.

Pittsburgh doesn’t win when Watt isn’t on the field. That’s why the wait in these negotiations seems so confusing. During that wait, the price for Watt’s eventual extension has only gone up. Other top pass rushers, including Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, and Danielle Hunter, have all signed large deals during that time. Garrett tops the market by a wide margin at an average of $40 million per year. That’s a number that should come up often during these talks, although there’s a decent chance Watt’s contract doesn’t amount to the same.

While the Steelers are waiting, they have gotten some other deals figured out in the meantime. Aaron Rodgers was signed to his one-year deal recently, and Pittsburgh also gave DeShon Elliot an extension this week. It’s possible that the team wanted to get those smaller deals out of the way before committing a ton of money to Watt.

Either way, Pittsburgh’s between a rock and a hard place at the moment. There’s plenty of time left to figure out a deal. The longer the wait goes, the more intense the situation gets, though.