Throughout the offseason, it has become clear that T.J. Watt and the Steelers have not had a smooth process with respect to extension talks. Since the former Defensive Player of the Year’s absence from minicamp, uncertainty has picked up regarding his future. 
Team and player have publicly expressed a desire to work out a third contract, one which will bring about a raise from the $21.05MM Watt is currently owed for 2025. The four-time All-Pro could move to the top of the pecking order amongst defensive players once his new pact is signed, but it remains unclear when that will take place. Surprising as a trade may be, it is also yet to be seen if Watt will indeed stay in Pittsburgh moving forward.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports Watt and the Steelers are “nowhere close” to a deal at this point. Time remains until training camp for progress to be made, of course, but the financial gap present in this case has added to the interest shown by outside teams. Suitors have reached out to Pittsburgh about a potential trade even though hammering out an extension is still the priority for general manager Omar Khan and Co.
During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan (audio link), Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirmed Watt is currently unhappy with the nature of contract talks. At least one offer of unknown value has been submitted, and to no surprise the matter of guarantees will be a sticking point in negotiations. Fittipaldo predicted an extension will be the outcome in this situation while adding “nothing is off the table” with regard to a potential trade.
Watt led the NFL in sacks for the third time in a four-year span in 2023. His production in that respect slipped last season, one in which he still managed to top the league with six forced fumbles. At the age of 30, the Steelers will need to weigh the risks of a drop-off in play with age to a much larger extent this time around compared to their 2021 Watt investment. That deal came about after a lengthy negotiating process, and it appears the situation will not be much different this summer.
Myles Garrett leads the way with a $40MM AAV amongst edge rushers. The Steelers – a team which has done away with standard operating procedure this offseason in terms of roster moves – could wind up matching or surpassing that figure in Watt’s case. If that is to happen, however, considerable progress will need to be made over the coming weeks.
Can lose playoff games with or without him.
That retort is trite, old, unoriginal, and invalid. Some malcontents in Cleveland would say the same head-scratching thing about Joe Thomas throughout his outstanding career. If you think that the Steelers are losing playoff games because of T.J. Watt, or that they stand a better chance of winning them without him, you’re out of your mind. Watt is the equal of Myles Garrett as a player (arguably better, but I don’t think he gets double- and sometimes triple-teamed quite as often as Garrett), and I’m a Browns fan saying that. As with the griping I hear from (some) Steelers fans about Mike Tomlin, if you don’t want him, there’s 31 other teams that would grab him in a heartbeat. You don’t get better as a team without your best player playing for you, and there’s absolutely NO QUESTION that Watt has been Pittsburgh’s best player for the last several years. He’s a first-ballot HOF candidate. Argue about the percentage of the cap his salary will take (as I do with Garrett…or Watson (UGHHH)), but don’t believe that the Steelers are a better team without Watt. That’s just ridiculous.
Well, he certainly isn’t doing much when the opposing team is gashing you for 460+ yards and nearly 300 on the ground… Watt was great though with his 0 tackles… 0 sacks… 0 TFL….
Did I ever say they were a better team without Watt? Lol. Didn’t think so. Just pointing out how he’s been the ‘best player on the team’ while his defense gave up 469, 583, 478, and 464 yards in his 4 playoff games. And he’s managed a whopping 8 tackles and 1 sack. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how good you are it’s time for a change. It’s that simple. Tom Brady was shown the door, literally any one can be. Including Watt. This franchise told Troy ‘C Gap’ Polamalu to retire or find a new team you think Watt has any say here? That’s cute lol.
Obviously Watt has a say here…he can hold out. You think the Steelers have the only leverage here, particularly in a season in which they clearly are going all-in because of Aaron Rodgers limited shelf life?? I never said that you said that the Steelers would be a better team without Watt, I was addressing the implications of letting him go. By the way, how much better were the Patriots after they let Brady go? Oh, that’s right, they were MUCH WORSE. Obviously, at some point, EVERY player gets replaced; the real question is what are the implications to a team when they are. I’m not saying the Steelers will win the Super Bowl with Watt this year, but they DAMN SURE aren’t winning it without him, not at this point of the off-season. I’m not a fan of players taking a far-disproportionate part of the cap, but that’s the way things are, and that wasn’t provided as an argument in your original remark anyway. In fact, you provided no genuine attempt to make a point at all. You were just being a snarky troll, thinking that you’re witty, throwing out that tired old line. Now THAT’s cute, LOL.
Hold out then. Don’t get paid while he’s at it I mean that doesn’t help him. The team has the final say plain and simple. I truly don’t care how much of the cap he takes because the cap is a fake number easily manipulated with void years and deferred money. Holding out, sitting on the sidelines, getting older for a couple million? Ask Le’Veon Bell how that worked out. Once again, I never said the Pats were better without Brady, or the Steelers would be without Watt. Your ‘genuine attempt’ at bringing ‘facts’ have NO CORRELATION to Watt being invisible when it matters…. The team that let Troy Polamalu and Big Ben leave are not losing sleep over TJ Watt. The Steelers aren’t winning a SB regardless. All of these veterans are on 1 year deals with very little or no guarantee next year to begin with. It’s an 8 month barely open if you’re looking through a microscope window and the organization is WELL aware of that. It’s basically a tryout for Ramsey. Rodgers is toast now let alone next year. Smith is done next year. Cam Heyward can be out with no $ next year. DK has no guarantees past 2026. Slay 1 year. Seamulo final year. It’s nearly a whole team walk year you think Watt being on the field makes any difference at this point? That’s cute.
You’re arguing with yourself. Hold out get treated like Le’Veon Bell the league passes you by. He’s privaledged to be in the NFL, even more privaledged to be a Steeler. Want paid? Go to Cleveland. They love paying players top dollar to be shells of themselves.
Every vet the Steelers brought in on a 1 year deal or have 0 guarantees in 2025 tell me how that’s all in? They have the 4th most $ next year to allocate towards replacements along with 12 draft picks… And Watt if he shows he’s better than his goose egg playoff performance. Until then, watch what you wish for. Also not everyone who’s opinion differs from yours is a troll that’s just a soft mentality to have if we’re being brutally honest.
I love the guy but this is similar to Hendrickson and the Bengals. That much money and cap space is a lot for over- 30 players (even great ones). But the risk in an extension- with guaranteed money/years, is seriously risky.
Both these guys are going to the Atlanta Falcons. Arthur is not getting any younger and his last name shows that he can write a blank check if he wants to.
lol the guy who keeps suggesting the Falcons, when they already traded next year’s first rounder for an edge rusher and have less than $5 million in cap space.
The Deshaun Watson contract was fully guaranteed. Did that go well? Contracts should be mostly incentive based. Fully guaranteed contracts are rarely good business. Watts is a special guy. No one is irreplaceable
If contracts were to be mostly incentive based (they shouldn’t be), then it would only be fair for rookie contracts to have extreme incentives too. Watt had 49.5 sacks in the four years of his rookie deal and made less than $10 million total in that time.
It’s most definitely an owner’s game. Most of them were ultra wealthy before they ever bought a franchise. The Cap is their tool for controlling their investment. I absolutely understand why an elite player wants guaranteed money and I also see the risk of investing in a guy after 30. But all the drama about dead cap money and cap space is a rigged game. And you are absolutely correct- taking advantage of rookie contracts is the biggest part of the scam.
To the Atlanta Falcons he goes.
People really think the Steelers signed a 41 year old quarterback and traded for a 30 year old defender just to turn around and trade their best player? Especially when it’s so late in the offseason that a bunch of would be fits are no longer viable because of cap commitments or pick trades.
“With TJ Watt: The Steelers have an all-time record of 79-40-2 when TJ Watt plays a full game.
Without TJ Watt: The Steelers have a record of 1-10 when TJ Watt is not playing.”
To meet TJ’s demands the Steelers will have to use voidable years which they’ve never done. Or go over $60 million a year of cap hit which they’ve never done …but probably they will have to do both.
Jules Winnfield: “Say Watt again. Say Watt again, I dare you, I double dare you mother@#%, say Watt one more Goddamn time!”