Ahead of 2025 NFL training getting underway, the Pittsburgh Steelers have some business to attend to. That business has to do with superstar pass rusher T.J. Watt and the current contract standoff the two sides are going through.
While there is no reason to panic right now about Watt and the Steelers not working out a deal, there are major questions about how much money the team will have to pay to keep him in town long-term.
Watt is one of the best defensive players in the game and is deserving of a pay raise. Right now, the two sides are simply haggling over how much that pay raise should be.
With training camp coming up quickly, the Steelers would love to get something done with Watt. Having him all-in and locked in to begin training camp would be an ideal scenario.
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Keeping that in mind, a new update has been provided on the situation.
According to NFL reporter James Palmer of Bleacher Report, there is a chance that Watt could receive over $40 million per season in his new deal.
“I’m hearing there’s a chance Watt gets past $40 [million per season],” Palmer said. “He has every right to ask for it. I’ve talked on here a lot about the comparisons between him and Myles Garrett. The numbers are almost identical in every aspect in terms of superlatives and in terms of numbers, and they came in the same draft class. I mean, he has the right to try to get that.”
Speaking of Garrett, the Cleveland Browns gave him a big payday this offseason as well. Garrett received a four-year, $160 million extension to stay with the Browns after making a public trade demand to begin the offseason.
During the 2024 NFL season with Pittsburgh, Watt played in 17 games, racking up 61 total tackles to go along with 11.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four defended passes.
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It clearly wasn’t his best season, but he was still an elite pass rusher.
Now, the clock is ticking for the Steelers to work out a new deal before training camp. They are scheduled to begin camp on July 23. That gives them just under a month to hammer out the details on a new contract.
Expect to hear more updates about Pittsburgh and Watt in the coming days. It is still widely expected a new deal will get done in the near future, but neither side is caving in to the other just yet.
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