PITTSBURGH — They asked Ben Roethlisberger to take a $5 million pay cut, gave Mike Tomlin a three-year contract extension, fired offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner and line coach Shaun Sarrett, parted ways with Bud Dupree, Steven Nelson, Al Villanueva, Matt Feiler and James Conner, brought back JuJu Smith-Schuster, Vince Williams and Tyson Alualu against great odds, picked up the fifth-year option on Minkah Fitzpatrick, declined that option on Terrell Edmunds and selected Alabama star running back Najee Harris and eight other players in the NFL draft.
It has been a busy, strenuous offseason for the Steelers, but the heavy lifting is far from finished.
Next on the agenda:
Finding a way to sign T.J. Watt to a long-term contract that will come close to making Watt the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.
We are talking really heavy lifting.
"We certainly look at T.J. as a key player in the future," Art Rooney II told Steelers fans during a Zoom call in March. "I can assure you we'll do everything we can to keep T.J. on our roster beyond this year. That is the goal."
Watt won't come cheap. He has put together consecutive seasons that rival any in Steelers history. He's led the NFL since 2019 in sacks (29 1/2 ), quarterback hits (73), tackles for loss (36) and forced fumbles (10). He was first-team All-Pro in 2019 and 2020 and the Steelers' MVP in each of those seasons.
Watt also has been incredibly durable in his first four NFL seasons, missing just two games, one because Tomlin held him out of the final game last season to keep him fresh for the playoffs. His four-season statistics: 49 1/2 sacks, 111 quarterback hits, 59 tackles for loss and 17 forced fumbles.
Watt isn't a Hall of Famer yet, but he is well on his way.
Did I mention Watt won't come cheap?
It's reasonable to think Watt will do better than the five-year, $125 million contract with $100 million guaranteed that Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett signed last July. Only Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa has a more lucrative contract among defensive players — five years, $135 million with $102 million guaranteed.
The Steelers have no choice but to sign Watt, right? Their team is built on defense. He is the best player on that defense.
"We usually don't talk about individual negotiations, but Art's addressed it and T.J.'s certainly addressed it with his play," Kevin Colbert said last week. "T.J. Watt is a special player. ... Art has made [signing him] a priority."
Talks between Watt and the Steelers will heat up this summer. The team has a policy of not negotiating once the regular season begins. Unless the two sides can do a deal, Watt will earn $10.089 million this season under the fifth-year option that the Steelers exercised last offseason.
It's always possible that the Steelers will allow Watt to play out his contract in 2021 and then put their franchise tag on him for 2022. That would assure that he'll be with the team for two more seasons. But that tag isn't what Watt or the Steelers want. Both sides want a long-term deal. Watt won't turn 27 until Oct. 11. His best seasons are ahead, barring injury.
"I'm sure that will be our intention," Colbert said of keeping Watt for years to come.
Wait for the caveat ...
"It always takes two to do that," Colbert said.
