PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger, who has signed a huge contract or two in his 18 years with the Steelers, said he thinks outside linebacker T.J. Watt “deserves every penny” he is seeking in his ongoing and suddenly changed negotiations for a new deal.
“I think T.J. should get whatever the heck he wants,” Roethlisberger said Wednesday morning. “He’s arguably the best football player in the game right now, not just on defense.”
The Steelers and Watt have been in negotiations for a new contract since before the start of training camp and, by all accounts, the two sides had basically agreed on a deal that would make him the highest-paid defensive player in the league, according to sources.
But concerns about how much of the contract will be guaranteed have interrupted the process and turned the negotiations into more of an uncertainty, even though sources believe the deal will get done.
Roethlisberger is in Watt’s corner.
“I’ve been through a few negotiations here with contracts, and one of the reasons I took less money is for guys like him to get paid,” said Roethlisberger, who took a $5 million pay cut on a restructured deal during the offseason to return to the team. “He deserves every penny he asks for. T.J. is that guy who should get whatever he wants.”
Coach Mike Tomlin said Watt is expected to return to practice Wednesday afternoon for the first time since the start of training camp.
“It was easy enough for me, but he’s trying to sign his first big deal and he’s the defensive player of the year,” Roethlisberger said. “Everyone in the locker room understands that and knows that and he should understand and know that.
“Problem is, when you negotiate new contracts it’s not always two-sided. When the higher-ups are in charge, there’s only so much you can do. We all feel bad for T.J. Everyone knows how bad he wants to be out there. I mean, the guy was here every single day and probably didn’t need to be. He should get taken care of.”
