Insider Cautions Steelers 'Game Of Chicken' T.J. Watt Contract Talks

The Pittsburgh Steelers completed mandatory minicamp last week without one of they core stars in attendance. T.J. Watt held out from the three days of practice, making his stance perfectly clear. 

Watt wants a contract extension from the Steelers and seeks top dollar value in his new deal. Despite a slight dip in production last season Watt remains one of the league's most impactful defensive players. 

The thing is, both the Steelers and Watt see this the same way. Pittsburgh wants to maintain their star just as Watt hopes to remain with the team past this season. 

However, as ESPN NFL analyst Peter Schrager noted on "The Pat McAfee Show", the two parties here are not the only ones looking to get a major deal done. Dallas Cowboys defensive star Micah Parsons is due his own contract extension, making for some added intrigue as both franchises handle their negotiations. 

"I know both sides are really motivated to get something done here...They don't wanna go into training camp and have this thing drag on.... Now, from what I'm told, both sides want it to get done. Obviously, T.J. Watt's gonna want a certain amount of money. Question is, is it a game of chicken? 

"T.J. Watt takes a deal that the Steelers offer and then a week later, Micah Parsons blows his deal outta the water and we're in the same place that we were beforehand. It's always interesting to see when you're talking top of the market guys, who is gonna take that offer first?:

This all stems back to Myles Garrett signing a four-year, $160 million contract with the Cleveland Browns earlier this offseason. Watt's and Parsons' negotiations revolve around these very figures. 

Both players deserve the "highest paid" label that may come with either of their next contracts. At the same time, there's also some incentive from the franchise side to strike a deal and end up paying less than their foe to keep their star happy. 

For the Steelers, they may have the edge here with Watt. The Cowboys have hardly made any progress on the Parsons front. It's possible that they have an entire month to work out details on an extension before the Cowboys come close to the negotiating table. 

But until then, the Steelers can take away the solace of their franchise player and their franchise being somewhat on the same page. Each passing day, especially those where other players are signing extensions, can carry some frustrations. 

Yet, the understanding remains and should prevail regardless of how the Cowboys handle their talks with Parsons.