PITTSBURGH — The Steelers have been discussing a new contract with outside linebacker T.J. Watt with the expectation they will come to some agreement with the four-time All-Pro and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year before the start of the regular season, sources have told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

However, that doesn't mean there might not be some resistance and not-so-minor stumbling blocks along the way — and for good reason.

Watt is heading into the final year of the five-year, $112 million contract ($80 million guaranteed) he signed in 2021 that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league.

But two developments in the offseason have likely upped his asking price.

The first was when Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, was given a four-year, $160 million extension with nearly $124 million guaranteed.

The other came when the Steelers traded for wide receiver DK Metcalf and gave him a five-year, $150 million deal with $60 million guaranteed — the largest total contract the franchise has ever handed a player.

So where does that leave Watt, their best defensive player and three-time team MVP?

That's what is going to be determined. The question, though, is how far are the Steelers willing to go? And for how long?

Watt will be 31 in October, and age will likely be a factor in the length of the contract the Steelers are willing to offer. There have been examples of some of the league's best edge rushers seeing their production drop once they hit the age of 30.

Von Miller had seven consecutive 16-game seasons with at least 10 sacks — including three with at least 14 — before he was 30. Once he turned 30, the league's leading active sacker saw his totals drop precipitously, averaging just 6.8 sacks in the next six seasons.

DeMarcus Ware ranks 13th all-time with 138.5 sacks and averaged 13.9 sacks his first eight seasons in the league with the Dallas Cowboys. But, once he turned 30, he averaged 6.9 sacks his final four years in the league.

Then there's Khalil Mack, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and the league's defensive player of the year in 2016. He had a career-best 17 sacks in 2023 with the Los Angeles Chargers at the age of 32.

Watt had 11.5 sacks last season, but it was his fewest since his rookie season (outside his injury-interrupted 2022 season). His 27 quarterback hits were his fewest since his second season in the league.

The holdup in the deal will be contingent on what Watt is seeking and how much and how long the Steelers are willing to guarantee his new contract. Right now, four players have contracts whose total value exceeds Watt's once-record deal, including Garrett and San Francisco's Nick Bosa.

If there were arbitration in the NFL, Watt would likely receive a contract as least the equal of Garrett and probably more. He had led the league in sacks in three of the previous five seasons, including matching the NFL's all-time single-season record (22.5) in 2021.

Keep in mind, the Steelers reward their key players as much for past performance as they do future projections. They did that last season when they gave defensive end Cam Heyward a new contract at age 35 as he was approaching his 14th NFL season. But it was for three years at a significantly lower number ($45 million with $16 million guaranteed) than what it will cost to renew Watt's deal.

In all likelihood, the Steelers will come to some agreement with Watt, their all-time sack leader.

But it might not be that easy.

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