Late Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive tackle Cam Heyward put the final touches on a new five-year contract for Heyward worth $75.1 million. This contract makes Heyward the highest-paid defensive lineman in the league over the age of 30 based on yearly average.
But now that the Steelers top 2020 offseason priority it is time to start thinking about 2021. As big as Heyward’s contract is, the extension linebacker T.J. Watt is due next offseason is going to dwarf it.
This offseason, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett got a contract extension worth $100 million. This is the kind of money Watt is going to be looking for next offseason. The question will be whether or not the Steelers can find a way to fit this type of contract under the cap.
We will continue to have faith in the Steelers front office but with a big cut in the salary cap coming, getting Watt under contract after this contract for Heyward is going to prove to be a significant challenge.
