Right now, things are dicey between the Pittsburgh Steelers and T.J. Watt.
Watt is seeking a new contract as he heads into the final year of his current one, and he's looking for big bucks that the Steelers might not be willing to pay out. It has gotten to the point that teams around the league are mulling trying to trade for Pittsburgh's star defender.
If neither Watt nor the Steelers budge and Watt's holdout threatens to extend into the season, we could see a trade go down at some point.
USA TODAY's Jacob Camenker thinks that could happen, and if so, he believes the Green Bay Packers would be a suitor.
"Watt would be a quality partner for Gary and would allow Van Ness to remain in a top backup role while he continues to develop," Camenker wrote. "Green Bay has $35.5 million in available cap space – the fifth-most in the NFL – so the Packers could easily afford to swing a deal for the All-Pro."
On top of giving up draft capital for Watt, the Packers would have to extend him with a lucrative, long-term deal.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, via The Rich Eisen Show, Watt wants a deal that will make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Dulac adds that Pittsburgh would likely have to give him a five-year contract, as well, in order to spread Watt's money out.
Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase currently holds the title of the highest-paid non-quarterback, with a four-year deal that pays him $40.25 million annually.
That means if Watt gets the deal he wants, he'll likely get a deal that pays him about $40.5 million annually over five years, which works out to a total sum of $202.5 million.
Very expensive, no doubt, but Watt would also give the Packers an elite edge-rush duo with Rashan Gary, which in turn would improve Green Bay's chances of competing for a Super Bowl.
The big risk with Watt comes from the fact that he'll be 31 in October, which is also likely a reason why the Steelers haven't given him what he wants.
However, if the Packers really want to make a run at a Super Bowl in 2025, adding someone like the seven-time Pro Bowler would go a long way toward helping that cause.