When the Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up OTAs, fans were wondering if Aaron Rodgers would join the team before mandatory minicamp. Thankfully, he did. Rodgers officially signed with the team last week and is ready to jump into action. Unfortunately, there's still going to be a notable absence from minicamp whose name holds just as much weight: T.J. Watt.
On Tuesday morning, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that Watt will not be in attendance for the Steelers' mandatory minicamp. This hardly comes as a surprise. The 'mandatory' label is self-explanatory (all players are required to attend). We've been down this road with Watt before... and this could get ugly.
The reason for Watt's absence is painfully obvious: the Steelers star is seeking a new contract extension—one that will make him the highest-paid defender in NFL history.
There's a reason the Pittsburgh Steelers don't have T.J. Watt locked up on a long-term extension
There's hesitation on the part of both parties to agree to terms on a new contract. After seeing a colossal market reset with Myles Garrett's new deal, Watt's party could be looking for the Dallas Cowboys to get something done with All-Pro Micah Parsons before rushing to the table to sign an extension.
In 2021, a contract dispute between Watt and the Steelers lingered until the start of the regular season, when Watt, against the advice of his agent, finally marched into the facility and put pen to paper on a record-setting contract extension.
Though we'd like nothing more than for the two sides to bury the hatchet and get something done, it's not hard to understand where both parties are coming from.
From Watt's perspective, he's outperformed Myles Garrett in nearly every measurable statistical category since entering the league in 2017. If he participates during the Steelers' mandatory minicamp and suffers a severe injury, he could lose himself millions on a future contract extension. Watt wants to secure at least one more monumental payday, knowing that he's strung together Hall of Fame production over the years.
The hold-up from Pittsburgh's front office is easy to make sense of as well. Watt will turn 31 years old early in the 2025 season, and his pass rush efficiency took a big step backward in 2024 despite playing all 17 regular-season games. Do the Steelers really want to invest $40-plus million per year with multiple seasons of fully guaranteed salary for a player who will be 32, 33, and 34 years old on his next deal?
It would be completely out of character for the Pittsburgh Steelers not to retain a player who will go down as one of the greatest this team has drafted. Something's going to get done eventually, but T.J. Watt's absence from mandatory minicamp makes perfect sense.