The contract dispute between T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers wages on. One Steelers insider provided a disappointing update about Watt’s chances of playing without a new deal.
Steelers Inside Provides Update On T.J. Watt Contract Situation
In 2021, Watt showed up to Steelers training camp but did not participate in practice (“a hold-in”). The standoff lasted for all of training camp. Days before the regular season, Watt and the Steelers agreed to a four-year, $112 million contract, the highest for an NFL defensive player at the time.
That contract expires at the end of the 2025 season.
However, Watt, 30, does not want to play on a one-year deal. The star edge rusher wants a new contract extension before the season starts on Sept. 7.
Watt skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp. The Steelers report for training camp on July 23. According to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Watt could miss training camp if a new deal is not reached.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a no-show,” Fittipaldo said via 93.7 The Fan. “We haven’t heard yet from T.J. ‘s camp what the plans are, but all the big stars who had contract issues sat out of minicamp. I think we might see the same thing again in training camp.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter echoed the same remarks about Watt on a recent ESPN Radio appearance. Schefter does not know if Watt is willing to miss games without a new contract. Time is on the Steelers’ side, but things will get ugly the longer this drags on.
“That’s a long way away. I’m not ready to say anything like that right now,” Schefter explained when asked if Watt would miss games due to the contract dispute. “If we get to August 8th and it’s still not resolved, well, that becomes a little bit more interesting. And if it gets to September 8th, that’s a big problem.”
T.J. Watt Contract Projections
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— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) July 10, 2025
Watt wants a new contract. Up until now, the Steelers’ star has not revealed the number he has in mind for a new deal.
It’s definitely higher than his base salary of $21.05 million in 2025.
It’s safe to say Watt wants a contract in the neighborhood of the deal signed by Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, which pays him $40 million per year.
Watt remains the Steelers’ best defensive player. The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year registered 11.5 sacks. The linebacker has at least 11.5 sacks in six of his eight professional seasons.
