When T.J. Watt‘s previous contract year arrived, he reported to Steelers minicamp and staged a training camp hold-in. This preceded a monster extension agreed upon days before the 2021 season. This time around, the future Hall of Fame edge rusher is taking a different route.

Watt did not show for the first day of Steelers minicamp, ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor notes. This came after The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicated the former Defensive Player of the Year was not expected to report for the mandatory set of workouts. Missing all three days will cost Watt just more than $104K; he made $21.1MM in base salary last season.

Minicamp absences have ticked up in recent years, and Watt will opt to make a point rather than take the hold-in route. Considering his importance to the Steelers’ mission — one that now officially includes a 41-year-old quarterback — Watt holding out at training camp would apply some pressure on the Steelers, who regularly use the late-summer camp period to hammer out extensions with the players they deem priorities. Watt is obviously one, as the Aaron Rodgers signing moves the OLB’s contract to the top of that list.

This is not viewed as a particularly contentious situation, though Watt’s minicamp absence is certainly not ideal for the AFC North team. Going into his ninth year with the Steelers, Watt has established himself as one of the most important defenders in modern NFL history. The Steelers are 1-10 without Watt in the lineup. Fortunately for Pittsburgh’s annual tightrope walk to playoff contention, the superstar pass rusher played in every game over the past two years.

Watt’s potential holdout comes amid a transformation for the edge rusher market. Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett and Danielle Hunter moved the market past $35MM per year. Garrett secured a $40MM-per-year accord. He and Watt’s careers having traversed parallel paths, save for a rather notable suspension handed to the Browns’ premier rusher, points to Watt wanting to reach that price range as well. Watt, though, is more than a year older than Garrett; he will turn 31 in October. Micah Parsons will also be interested in where Watt’s third contract comes in, as he can use his age (26) to leverage the Cowboys into making him the NFL’s highest-paid defender. Aidan Hutchinson‘s camp will be closely monitoring the Pittsburgh proceedings as well, but one of these players obviously will need to go first this summer.

The Steelers’ $28MM-per-year Watt extension stood as the league’s top EDGE deal for two years, before Nick Bosa‘s $34MM-AAV re-up moved the market. It took until this offseason for Bosa’s 49ers deal to be topped, but less accomplished edge performers Brian Burns and Josh Hines-Allen also topped Watt’s AAV in 2024. It is not known if the Steelers have submitted an offer in the Garrett range; based on Watt skipping OTAs and now Day 1 of minicamp, it would be safe to bet that has not happened. This deal may well end up costing more than the Steelers expected.

Steelers GM Omar Khan naturally wants Watt to finish his career in Pittsburgh, and another deal before a contract year commences will be expected (as the Steelers do not negotiate in-season). While it would be unexpected that this Watt saga drags to the 2026 franchise tag deadline, that would be a weapon the Steelers can use if no common ground can be reached by Week 1.

The Steelers are continuing extension talks with T.J. Watt, and according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the four-time All-Pro is expected to put pen to paper before the regular season begins in September.

Watt has yet to attend Pittsburgh’s OTAs as he awaits a new contract. The team reportedly submitted an offer earlier this week, but Watt seems to be pursuing a stronger deal after an explosion in edge rusher pay this offseason. Maxx Crosby got $35.5MM per year from the Raiders in March, and a few days later, Myles Garrett‘s extension with the Browns reset the market with a $40MM APY.

Watt’s current contract — one agreed to days before the 2021 season — is worth just over $28MM per year, so he should be in line for a significant raise after two consecutive top-five finishes in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He will turn 31 during the 2025 season, which could raise age concerns in Pittsburgh, but Garrett is only a year younger with 3.5 fewer sacks since 2023. Watt has also been durable despite a high snap share; he has started 44 straight regular-season games dating back to 2022, though an MCL sprain at the end of the 2023 season sidelined him for the playoffs.

The 2017 first-round pick has been one of the league’s best pass rushers for his entire career, including a 22.5-sack performance in 2021 that tied Michael Strahan‘s single-season record. Watt’s 31.5 sacks over the last two years trail only Trey Hendrickson, who is at an impasse in his own extension negotiations with the Bengals. Hendrickson is also entering his age-31 season but took longer to reach Watt’s level of elite production. If one of the two can agree to new terms with their team, it might clarify the market and lead to a resolution for the other.

Another consideration for Watt is D.K. Metcalf‘s four-year, $132MM contract, which surpassed the future Hall of Fame OLB’s current deal to set new franchise records in per-year and total money. The current edge rusher market should allow Watt to beat Metcalf’s $33MM APY, but setting a new high in total money will require a four-year deal though Watt’s age-35 season in 2029.

As Dulac notes, edge rusher production tends to drop after age 30, so guarantees will be a sticking point in negotiations. The Steelers typically shy away from post-Year 1 guarantees, but they made an exception for Watt on his current contract. Watt’s 2021 extension included a team-record $80MM in fully guaranteed money with guaranteed salaries in 2022 and 2023. That will set a precedent for similar terms on an extension that would guarantee Watt’s salary in 2026 and 2027. Ultimately, the two sides’ ability to reach an agreement will likely come down to the Steelers’ willingness to pay Watt as an elite edge rusher for the rest of his career.

With OTAs underway, T.J. Watt has yet to work out an extension agreement with the Steelers. At least one offer appears to have been made in this case, however.

During a recent episode of the Kaboly + Mack podcast, Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show reported that a “pretty significant” extension offer has been submitted to Watt (video link). It is unclear when it was made, but the offer is on the table at this point. Without a deal being signed, though, a gap clearly still exists between team and player in this situation.

Kaboly added it is unknown whether or not the current offer outpaces the extension Myles Garrett signed with the Browns this offseason. That four-year, $160MM pact ended speculation about his future in Cleveland – which was of course driven in large part by his trade request – and reset the edge rush market. Watt was once the league’s highest earner at the position, with that being the case for the first two years of his existing contract (four years, $112MM). A raise is in store once again, although it remains to be seen if surpassing Garrett’s deal will be required.

Team and player have expressed a desire to continue their relationship beyond 2025. That led to an expectation Watt would join the list of high-profile pass rushers receiving a new deal this offseason. The former Defensive Player of the Year remains a pending 2026 free agent at this point, though. Age (30) will be a key consideration in this case. Watt has nevertheless led the NFL in sacks three times since 2020 and has earned at least second-team All-Pro honors in five of the past six seasons.

The Steelers do not have a long history of committing guaranteed money beyond the first year of an extension for non-quarterbacks. Watt’s 2021 deal (signed days before the start of the campaign) represented an exception, but it will be interesting to see how far the team is willing to go on another monster extension. The seven-time Pro Bowler saw his sack total drop to 11.5 in 2024, and he was held off the statsheet in that regard for the team’s final four games last season.

An April social media post led to increased speculation about Watt’s situation, and he is among the veterans currently skipping OTAs while extension talks take place. Pittsburgh also has the likes of Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and – on a full-time basis starting this year – DeMarvin Leal as experienced pass rushers. Rookie Jack Sawyer will compete for a depth role in 2025, but much of the team’s success will depend on Watt’s production. That, in turn could be influenced by the nature of extension negotiations, a process which will clearly need to continue.

T.J. Watt remains without a contract beyond 2025, and his situation is, therefore, still a talking point as the Steelers return to the facility. Pittsburgh’s Organized Team Activities began today, and the All-Pro edge rusher was, reportedly, not with the team.

According to Curt Popejoy of SteelersWire, Watt skipped the start of OTAs today. It is certainly no secret that the former Defensive Player of the Year has been in search of a new deal, a desire which the team has publicly reciprocated. One season remains on his contract, and Watt has already hinted at dissatisfaction with playing on a contract year this offseason.

Since both the Steelers (55) and Watt (22.5) led the NFL in sacks in 2021, Pittsburgh has put up middling sack numbers in each of the past three seasons. Part of that was due to an injury in 2022 that forced Watt to miss seven games, but it was still the case when Watt earned his third sack-title with 19.0 in 2023. Still, ever since his four-year, $112MM extension started in 2021, Watt has accounted for nearly a third of the team’s sack total. He’s also the only player in NFL history (since sacks became an official stat in 1982) to lead the league in sacks in a single season three times.

All this, just to underline how much Watt means to the Steelers’ pass rush. Without him, the team’s top returning sack-getters were Cameron Heyward (8.0), who just turned 36 years old, Alex Highsmith (6.0), and Nick Herbig (5.5). No other returning defender had more than one. Highsmith has flashed big potential in the past (14.5 sacks in 2022), but his output hasn’t been consistent enough for Pittsburgh to rely on him as their primary source of a pass rush in the future. The team also drafted Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer in this year’s draft, but expecting the fourth-rounder to eventually replace Watt is a lot to ask.

There really doesn’t seem to be much threat of the Steelers losing Watt at the moment, though. Despite a down year for Watt and the lack of an acceptable offer from Pittsburgh, both sides seem to want the same things. Per Popejoy, “Watt wants a new contract and a raise,” and “the Steelers want Watt to retire” in Pittsburgh. All that needs to happen, now, is for the two parties to find agreeable terms with which they can move forward.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

No deal is in place between Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers, although one remains the expectation from all parties. Regardless of what takes place on that front, a lucrative T.J. Watt extension looms as a key priority for the team.

Watt entered this offseason as one of several high-profile edge rushers in line for a new deal. The likes of Myles Garrett (Browns), Maxx Crosby (Raiders) and to a lesser extent Danielle Hunter (Texans) have each landed a raise and additional term to their pacts this offseason. That leaves Watt in a group with Bengals All-Pro Trey Hendrickson, as well as younger Cowboys and Lions stars Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson as names to watch regarding an extension.

Finalizing a Rodgers pact for 2025 represents a key goal as the Steelers look to add at least a one-year quarterback starter. To no surprise, though, that endeavor will have no bearing on Watt’s contract status. Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show reports the Rodgers and Watt situations have nothing to do with one another.

The latter has remained one of the league’s top sack artists throughout his eight years in Pittsburgh. Watt has collected a Pro Bowl nod every season since 2018, adding four first-team All-Pro nods along the way. The former first-rounder earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021, and after an injury-shortened campaign one year later he returned to his previous form with a league-leading 19 sacks. Watt managed another 11.5 in 2024, and he will be expected to remain a foundational member of the Steelers’ defense for years to come.

The 30-year-old is owed a base salary of $21.05MM in 2025, the final season of his pact. That figure is not guaranteed, though, and Watt is scheduled to carry a cap hit of $30.42MM as things stand. An extension containing new guarantees could lower his cap charges in the near future while ensuring a long-term partnership between team and player. That has publicly been the goal for both parties in this case, but an Instagram post from last month led to speculation Watt is unhappy with the state of extension talks.

No major developments have taken place since then, although Kaboly notes a contract averaging roughly $40MM per year – the new high mark for pass rushers – can still be considered “a matter of when” rather than if. The Steelers have Alex Highsmith as a fellow starter along with Nick Herbig and fourth-round rookie Jack Sawyer in place for edge rush depth, but Watt will of course play a central role in determining if Pittsburgh’s production up front remains elite in 2025.

The Steelers currently have nearly $32MM in cap space, so plenty of room exists for a Rodgers pact. Even if funds are set aside for that, Pittsburgh could move forward with a new Watt agreement at any time, and finalizing a deal before the likes of Hendrickson, Parsons and Hutchinson sign would likely be beneficial for the team.

T.J. Watt is one of several edge rushers still in line for a new contract this offseason. The position’s market has jumped thanks to Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett working out raises with their respective teams, and that could push the value Watt’s next Steelers pact upward.

One season remains on the former Defensive Player of the Year’s deal, one which carries a 2025 cap charge of $31.42MM. That figure could be lowered with an extension, although a third Pittsburgh contract will require a raise in annual average value. Watt’s existing pact is worth an average of just over $28MM per season, whereas Garrett’s has an AAV of $40MM.

Resetting the market once again may not be necessary, but a sign indicating talks have not gone well to date emerged on Wednesday. An Instagram post from Watt which shows him holding up the peace sign while walking off the field has led to speculation about his desire to remain in Pittsburgh moving forward. Such developments rarely prove to be particularly relevant during contract talks, but Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show notes this situation remains worth watching closely.

Watt, 30, has expressed a desire to remain with the Steelers, and general manager Omar Khan recently confirmed the team’s goal of ensuring he finishes his career in Pittsburgh. Kaboly predicts this situation will still likely end with an extension agreement, although he adds the price of doing so may prove to be higher than initially thought. The Steelers already have high price tags (with respect to cap charges) to deal with in the form of Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cameron Heyward and Patrick Queen.

Adding further to the team’s commitments on defense could prove to be challenging, but as a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time NFL sack leader Watt certainly has a case to receive another major pay day. Alex Highsmith is on the books as a strong complementary option along the edge, though Watt would of course be expected to remain a foundational presence on defense if he were to remain in the fold for 2025 and beyond.

The likes of Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson and Aidan Hutchinson could all have lucrative new deals in place soon. If the bar moves any higher in terms of EDGE compensation, Watt’s earning potential could increase even further. Whether or not his next contract will come from the Steelers will remain a talking point until and unless an agreement can be reached, though.

One year remains on T.J. Watt‘s contract, and he could be the next high-profile edge rusher in the NFL to secure a notable payday. An extension is known to be on the Steelers’ to-do list, and further signs are pointing to one being worked out.

When speaking to the media about Watt’s situation and the shifting financial landscape for edge rushers, general manager Omar Khan replied, “I’ll just say that I’m very hopeful that T.J. will finish his career as a Steeler” (h/t team reporter Dave Lolley). Pittsburgh has seen Maxx Crosby (Raiders) and, shortly thereafter, Myles Garrett (Browns) reset the position’s market this offseason. The latter is now attached to an AAV of $40MM.

Watt’s current deal – his 2021 extension – is worth just over $28MM on average. The former Defensive Player of the Year is in line for a raise based on the continued upward movement of the cap, although it remains to be seen what the terms of a third Steelers contract will look like. Watt has previously indicated his desire to remain in Pittsburgh past the coming campaign, so a mutual interest between team and player should help yield progress at the negotiating table.

Stating an extension for the seven-time Pro Bowler is “just a matter of when and how much,” Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show predicts Watt will agree to a pact in the range of three years and $105MM in new money. He adds it is unlikely an extension will move the 30-year-old back to the top of the position’s pecking order, but a renewed commitment will of course represent a major cap commitment for Pittsburgh. Watt has logged a full season each of the past two years, totaling 30.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles during that stretch. While age will be a consideration in his case, expectations will be high once a new pact is in hand.

The Steelers already have Alex Highsmith on the books for another three years (although none of his scheduled base salaries over that stretch are guaranteed). The former third-rounder has proven to be an effective complementary option to Watt, recording at least six sacks each year since becoming a full-time starter. Highsmith’s scheduled cap hits range from $18.6MM to $21.1MM, though, so keeping Watt in the fold on a more lucrative deal will bring about financial challenges for Pittsburgh.

Watt is currently scheduled to collect $21.05MM next season with a cap hit of $30.42MM. An extension could lower the latter figure while meeting the team’s goal of keeping him in the fold for the foreseeable future. No timeline is in place for an agreement to be worked out, but doing so before the likes of Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson and Aidan Hutchinson have new deals with their respective teams would likely allow for a lower price tag.

T.J. Watt is set to enter the final year of his contract, and with the pass rusher attached to a $30MM cap hit for 2025, there have been some rumblings that the Steelers could look to move on from their franchise star. Art Rooney was quick to dismiss that idea, as the Steelers owner said the team wasn’t considering parting with Watt.

“I’d have to put it in the ‘unlikely’ category,” Rooney said (h/t Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com). “He’s certainly been one of the real, solid pieces we have on that defense. I think he’s the kind of guy we want to have in the locker room going forward.”

Rooney also said he’d be interested in extending the veteran pass rusher (via Mark Kaboly), further indication that Watt will be sticking in Pittsburgh long-term. An extension always seemed like the likeliest path forward; the front office could reduce Watt’s impending cap hit (and, potentially, his $21MM in true earnings) by handing the star another long-term pact.

Watt is about to conclude his second contract with the organization, a four-year, $112MM deal he inked in 2021. The former first-round pick has generally been worth every penny. While he was limited to 10 games and career-worst marks during the first season of his extension, he’s rebounded by compiling 30.5 sacks and 38 tackles for loss over the past two campaigns. That includes a recently-completed 2024 season where he led the NFL with six forced fumbles.

Micah Parsons, Myles Garrett, and Trey Hendrickson could all look to reset the edge-rusher market this offseason, and Watt’s next deal could be a reflection of those pacts. The Steelers star currently ranks fourth among edge rushers with a $28MM average annual value, and while he may be able to garner similar financials on his next deal, the contract’s term will surely be a sticking point between the two sides. The 2025 campaign will represent Watt’s age-31 season, and with the Steelers potentially focused on improving the offensive side of the ball, the team may be pinching pennies on defense.

For what it’s worth, Watt recently made it clear that he wants to stick in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career. On the flip side, the four-time All-Pro noted he is uncertain of how long he plans on playing in the NFL, so there’s a chance his next contract ends up being the final deal of his career.

With the Steelers’ latest wild-card loss in the books, several key decisions need to be made in the near future. In terms of core players, one of Pittsburgh’s top priorities could be working out an extension with edge rusher T.J. Watt.

The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year has one year remaining on his current deal, and he is due just over $21MM in 2025. His scheduled cap hit is more than $30MM, though, so working out a new contract could lower that figure while ensuring he remains in Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future. To no surprise, Watt himself expressed a desire to hammer out another extension this offseason.

“I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler,” the 30-year-old said (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “I don’t want to leave this place… I want to be part of the solution, not leave here and go somewhere else. That’s not my intention at all.”

Watt’s play during his rookie contract earned him a four-year, $112MM extension. When at full health, he has proven that commitment to be a sensible one on the Steelers’ part. The former first-rounder tied the all-time single-season sacks record with 22.5 in 2021, and upon return from an injury-shortened campaign last year, he added another 19 to his career total. An ankle sprain did not produce any missed time in 2024, and Watt racked up 11.5 sacks along with a league-leading six forced fumbles.

With an AAV of just over $28MM, Watt’s deal now ranks fourth in the league amongst edge rushers. The position could see considerable change this offseason from a financial perspective, with Micah Parsons once again eligible for a second contract and Myles Garrett in line to secure another lucrative commitment from the Browns. Trey Hendrickson will also no doubt attempt another round of negotiations with Bengals for a big-ticket deal after he led the league in sacks in 2024.

Watt could very well find himself at or near the top of the EDGE pecking order with a third contract, although his age could give the Steelers pause. In general, it would not come as a surprise if general manager Omar Khan attempted to allocate more resources to the offensive side of the ball in 2025, something which may very well include a new deal for quarterback Russell Wilson. Even with fellow outside linebacker Alex Highsmith attached to a notable second contract, though, Watt is likely to remain in the Steelers’ plans.

This past June, the four-time All-Pro noted he is uncertain of how long he plans on playing in the NFL. His otherwise stellar career has been marred by a lack of postseason success, but today’s comments confirm he does not wish to seek out a trade sending him elsewhere or attempt to set up a potential free agent departure. As Pittsburgh prepares to move forward with head coach Mike Tomlin, it will be interesting to see how amenable the team is to another Watt extension.