The Pittsburgh Steelers all of a sudden have one less big check to write.
That's one takeaway of the George Pickens trade to the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday. If Pickens was due for a hefty extension, it's not the Steelers' problem anymore.
That means focus can turn to the one remaining star who deserves a gargantuan deal: T.J. Watt.
There's been subdued chatter throughout the offseason on a Watt deal, but it hasn't yet turned to the center of attention, not with Aaron Rodgers' saga lingering out there the whole time.
Watt is almost certainly going to be paid, though.
Now, it'll be just a little easier for the Rooney family to stomach the huge deal.
Watt is looking at a potentially record-setting defensive contract. His agents will certainly seek a deal that tops Myles Garrett's four-year, $160 million extension with the Browns.
MORE: The real reason the Steelers traded George Pickens to the Cowboys
The Cowboys are also due to extend Micah Parsons for beyond that amount, so the dollar figure could keep rising.
Pittsburgh won't want to let Watt get to the point of any sort of trade rumors.
Especially if Rodgers is still signing, this is a team that will remain in win-now mode, as it always is.
Watt is one of the best players in Steelers franchise history. To keep winning, they have to keep him, and the payday that is coming should be a big one.
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