Newcastle veteran Mitchell Pearce is in discussions with the Knights in regards to a new contract extension, but the club won't be handing out any multi-year deals to the former Origin star, per The Sydney Morning Herald's Christian Nicolussi.
The stance from Knights boss Phil Gardner has placed Pearce's future in some uncertainty, with the 31-year-old likely to chase offers elsewhere to land a multi-year deal to remain in the NRL.
Pearce has endured a difficult off-season ahead of his 2021 campaign, after a sexting scandal involving a female club worker postponed his wedding and thumb surgery stunting his preparations for the new season.
While Pearce is tipped to run out for the Knights' Round 1 clash against the Bulldogs on March 12, there is sure to be plenty of attention pointed his way despite being forced to the sideline.
Speaking to the Herald, Gardner said negotiations surrounding a new deal were progressing, but ruled out any option of anything longer than a 12-month deal.
“We’re negotiating with Mitch; we hope to have his 2022 contract resolved within the next few months,” Gardner said.
“Mitchell is a year-by-year proposition, which he knows at his exalted age. He’s got an incredible body, Mitch – he told me he’ll go on longer than Cameron Smith – so we’ll see. It could be a long association with the club.