The Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to figure out a new contract with superstar pass rusher T.J. Watt. It has become a situation that is making some fans uneasy.
Watt has been the clear franchise cornerstone for years. He has become one of the best pass rushers in recent NFL history and continues improving on his legacy year after year with the Steelers.
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, Watt is in the final year of his contract. He has been wanting to get a new deal before the season and is more than deserving of a pay raise, especially after the deal that Myles Garrett was given by the Cleveland Browns earlier this offseason.
Where do the two sides stand in contract discussions?
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Pittsburgh insider Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has shared an update about the situation.
“Unfortunately for the Steelers the Browns set the market. It’s not really a matter of whether he’s worth it or not. It’s the business side of football,” Fittipaldo wrote. “You can make an argument many of the top-paid QBs aren’t worth the money they make, but the market is set. Either you pay or you move on to another player. And I just don’t see the Steelers moving on from Watt unless the negotiation gets really ugly.”
Basically, he’s suggesting that the Steelers will end up paying Watt. They can’t afford to lose him and trading him would be an extremely difficult decision to make.
During the 2024 NFL season in Pittsburgh, Watt played in all 17 games. He racked up 61 total tackles to go along with 11.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four defended passes.
Throughout his 121 career games with the Steelers, the 30-year-old pass rusher has totaled 462 tackles, 108 sacks, 33 forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries, seven interceptions, and 50 defended passes.
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More than likely, the two sides will be able to work something out. It would be shocking to see these contract negotiations end in some kind of a divorce.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the bargaining power is very much in Watt’s hands. Garrett received a monstrous four-year, $160 million deal from the AFC North division rival Browns. Watt will be looking to get paid along those same lines.
Expect to hear more news about the Steelers and Watt in the near future.
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