Mark Madden's Hot Take: Only Steelers fans value TJ Watt over Micah Parsons, Myles Garrett

Micah Parsons got traded from Dallas to Green Bay, then signed a four-year contract worth $47 million per year.

T.J. Watt’s new deal only calls for $41 million per year.

Time to hold in. Time to renegotiate. Time for autocorrect.

Myles Garrett’s contract in Cleveland pays just $40 million per. He’s going to have to shop at Dollar Tree.

Dallas got two first-round picks as the bulk of the return for Parsons.

Could the Steelers get that for Watt?

Probably not. Watt is 30 and fading. Parsons is 26 and in his prime.

ESPN’s list of the NFL’s top 100 players seems to confirm: Parsons is rated ninth, Watt 11th. Garrett sits third despite being lowest-paid of the trio.

ESPN’s rankings, superfluous as they may be, are a reminder that Pittsburgh is the only place where Watt is considered better than Garrett.

Statistically, Watt has had a better career.

Watt and Garrett each have played eight seasons. Watt has 5½ more sacks, seven more interceptions, 13 more forced fumbles and six more fumble recoveries.

But right now, most teams would rather have Garrett.

Watt wasn’t great last year: No sacks in 10 of 18 games, no stats at all in the last two games.

Garrett is nearly 15 months younger, won NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and had 2½ more sacks than Watt last season.

The disparity isn’t great. But right now, Garrett seems better.

The evaluation by Pittsburgh — and by Steeler Nation worldwide — is the most comical factor.

Among that cluster, Watt is assumed to be definitely superior to Garrett. Then, now and forever. Vociferously so.

Watt and Garrett are both very good. Parsons might be better. He’s definitely younger.

What if the Steelers got offered a return for Watt that’s similar to what Dallas got for Parsons?

No deal. Watt’s a one-helmet guy. That’s what matters most. (Gag.)