Insider Reveals Cause of Issue Between Steelers, T.J. Watt

While negotiations have gone nowhere between the Pittsburgh Steelers and T.J. Watt up to this point, the consensus remains that they'll eventually come to terms on an extension this summer.

While appearing on "Get Up", ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported that the Steelers are optimistic and want to hammer out a deal, with guaranteed money sticking out as the biggest roadblock in contract talks at the moment.

"Pittsburgh remains optimistic, I'm told they want to get a deal done," he said. "I know there's been the trade chatter out there. Teams I've talked to don't really expect him to be moved, but this is an issue of guaranteed money as a sticking point. The structure of the deal, all those details, 'cause most people I talk to around the league do expect him to be the highest-paid pass rusher when he does get paid. That doesn't seem to be an issue. It's about the other details that they haven't been able to lock in on between the team and the player."

As Fowler noted, the expectation around the league is that Watt will become the most well-compensated pass rusher once he agrees to a new deal. In turn, that would mean he'd surpass the $40 million per year mark that Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett set on his own extension earlier this offseason.

There's been some concerns regarding the risk factor of paying a player who will turn 31-years-old in October record-breaking money, but Watt has remained one of the most effective defenders in the NFL at his age. He finished fourth in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting this past season after logging 11.5 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles, and there's no reason to believe he'll regress significantly in the immediate future.

Negotiations likely won't ramp up until training camp rolls around, and while the Steelers have reportedly gauged his value around the league, a trade appears unlikely at this point in time.

If guaranteed money truly is the point of contention, it'll be interesting to see if or how Pittsburgh and Watt meet in the middle and resolve their differences.