T.J. Watt record-breaking contract creates financial nightmare for Eagles

Just when the Philadelphia Eagles have an idea of what the market is going to look like for paying top defensive players, it got reset.

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed T.J. Watt to a three-year, $123 million contract extension to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Watt's average contract value per year is looking at $41 million.

On one end, the hilarious aspect to this is that the Dallas Cowboys have set themselves up with failure financially as they are going to have to pay Micah Parsons a boat load of money that will set the franchise back. The other end is reality is settling in for the Eagles that they might have to pay the heavy price to keep one of their top defensive players.

Jalen Carter is going to command a lot of money in about two to three years

In general, the Eagles are going to be stuck with tough decisions to make as they will have to make a lot of their young defensive players very wealthy. Reed Blankenship is the big one within this year or next offseason that will have to be taken care of. After that, guys like Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean will be next to consider.

Carter is the one who will command the most money. He's been the one who earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections last year, just in his second year in the NFL. Many in the NFL have been comparing his impact to that of Aaron Donald's career.

Many have been speculating about the kind of money Carter will need to be paid in his next contract, with the original estimate being between $30 and $40 million per year. Now, Watt's deal makes it more likely that the Eagles are looking at $40 million per year or more.

That will complicate re-signing the other young players on the team, which means some will be left behind. It's challenging to determine who would be left off since all those players are under the age of 25, but it will make it a difficult decision for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to decide who is valuable and who the team can replace.

Regardless of who ends up becoming stars on the Eagles' defense, there are going to be expensive decisions made. Let's hope Roseman and company are ready to pay big bucks to keep the number one defense together for a long time.