T.J. Watt-Steelers, Terry McLaurin-Commanders Contracts Reportedly 'Not Close'

Contract negotiations between edge-rusher T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers and wide receiver Terry McLaurin and the Washington Commanders reportedly are "not close," per ESPN's Adam Schefter, who spoke in depth on the McLaurin conversation during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show before bringing Watt into the discussion.

"It's kind of like T.J. Watt. You can't imagine these two sides, as far apart as they are today, wouldn't be able to somehow find a way to bridge their differences and figure out a solution, but today, McLaurin and the Commanders are not close. Watt and the Steelers are not close, and those would be two of the storylines that we are tracking as we get ready for training camp."

Per Over the Cap, Watt has one year left on his four-year, $112 million contract. McLaurin has one season left on a three-year, $68.2 million contract extension.

The Watt-Steelers and Commanders-McLaurin combos may not be close in negotiations right now, but it's hard to see the two sides part. Both players are invaluable to their teams.

Watt is a future Pro Football Hall of Famer with 108 lifetime sacks in eight seasons, four of which have ended with him as a First Team All-Pro. Pittsburgh has gone to the playoffs in five of his eight seasons, and the Steelers have had a top-10 scoring defense each of the last three years.

McLaurin has amassed no fewer than 77 catches and 1,002 yards each of the past five seasons. But now he has a superstar quarterback in Jayden Daniels, and the two formed an incredible combination last year, leading to 16 touchdowns (three in the playoffs, where Washington went to the NFC Championship).

Schefter notably threw cold water on the idea of both leaving and in particular said that he couldn't see the Commanders "moving on from McLaurin no matter how disgruntled he may be."

Ultimately, the contract negotiations aren't a big deal right now, with the calendar yet to turn to July and training camps still more than three weeks away. They are certainly situations still worth monitoring, of course, as Pittsburgh and Washington look to extend their stars.