I’ve written this before, but I’m going to reiterate in detail because there seems little doubt that the Steelers are going to make a big mistake even as most of you marks cheer them on.

There isn’t a single good reason to give edge rusher T.J. Watt a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid at his position.

In fact, there’s no need to give Watt a contract extension at all.

Watt has one year left on his deal. Make him play it out. If he plays well, franchise him for 2026. Repeat if warranted in 2027. Go year by year.

That’s what’s best for the Steelers. Undeniably so.

Watt is 30. He had no sacks in 10 of 18 games last season. He had no stats at all in the last two games.

The only reason to acquiesce and give Watt what he wants is to keep him from whining. (And to shut up his brother J.J., who’s using his media platform to campaign for his brother’s payday.)

Sure, T.J. could refuse to play.

But he’d have to be available for six games to burn that final year of his agreement, then the Steelers could franchise him anyway.

The Steelers won’t win a playoff game this season. A work stoppage by T.J. won’t make a difference. (He’s never won in the postseason, anyway.)

T.J. has zero leverage.

But the Steelers will nonetheless give in.

T.J. will get what he wants, which is more than Myles Garrett gets in Cleveland.

J.J. bleated about long-term financial well-being. But T.J. has already made $110 million. Getting more than Garrett doesn’t feed T.J.’s family. It feeds his ego.

Why should the Steelers make a mistake just because the Browns did?

It didn’t matter what Franco Harris wanted in 1984.

Harris is the Steelers’ all-time leading rusher, won four Super Bowls, was MVP of Super Bowl IX, caught the Immaculate Reception and might be the all-time face of the franchise.

But he wanted too much, was past his prime, got cut and finished his career inconsequentially in Seattle.

Those Steelers played hardball.

These Steelers are spineless.

The Steelers used to set a valuation for a player, then didn’t budge off that number regardless of what other teams did or thought.

There’s no reason to extend T.J. besides placating him.

There’s no reason to pay T.J. like he’s the NFL’s best edge rusher. Because he isn’t. Not anymore. At 30, he’s more likely to play worse or get hurt than he is to resume an upward trajectory.

Don’t pay T.J. for what he’s already done. Those checks have been cashed.

Pay T.J. for what he can still do.

But the Steelers will buckle by way of avoiding T.J.’s self-righteous gym-teacher angst and to keep his brother from piling on every time he goes on Pat McAfee’s show.

There’s no debate in this situation. Not logically.

Making T.J. play out the final year of his contract, then franchising as necessary is the only correct move.

Unless you want to trade him.

That wouldn’t fetch as much as you think.

The Steelers wouldn’t get a first-round pick, not with T.J. declining.

But he would help a team on the cusp of winning a Super Bowl where he wouldn’t be the primary defensive weapon. Maybe the Steelers could get a second-round pick and something else.

But that’s moot. The Steelers won’t trade T.J.

The Steelers like to talk about one-helmet guys.

But Harris, as noted, went to Seattle. (Franco who?)

Rod Woodson went to San Francisco, then Baltimore and Oakland.

Alan Faneca went to the New York Jets.

The Steelers used to be all business.

It wasn’t about one-helmet guys.

It was about the logo on the helmet.

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