Steelers Now
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hints linebacker T.J. Watt could be willing to make things ugly with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt are continuing to work on a contract extension as Watt is entering the final year of his contract. But the two sides are reportedly not very close to a deal, putting Watt’s future in Pittsburgh up in the air.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reveals if the Steelers can’t resolve the issue soon, Watt could look to make things ugly.
“The problem is that the two sides are, we’re told, nowhere close on a new deal,” Florio writes. “Watt, one of the very best defensive players is the game, is ready for any outcome and not afraid to push the issue.”
The news isn’t surprising as it comes shortly after Pittsburgh made a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins on Monday.
As part of the deal, the Steelers acquired cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith, and then gave them both raises.
That likely hasn’t sat well with Watt, who is scheduled to make just $21.05 million in salary in 2025, none of which is guaranteed. Meanwhile, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was just made the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history this offseason with a contract extension that pays him $40 million per year.
It’s unclear what exactly are Watt’s demands in an extension, but many believe he wants to surpass Garrett’s record-breaking deal.
Watt is coming off the least-productive full season of his NFL career, but he still proved to be worth every penny while recording 11.5 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles.
It’s also unclear what exactly Pittsburgh could get in return for Watt. While the team has shown no interest in trading him, it has been stockpiling 2026 picks to go gets its future franchise quarterback in next year’s draft.
Florio thinks they may reconsider if the deal is too good to pass up.
“They need a young quarterback. If they could flip Watt for the ammo that helps them get the successor to Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger, maybe they should,” Florio writes. “Again, it won’t help them this year. Which could cause [Aaron] Rodgers to bristle. Still, if they’re reluctant to give Watt a Myles Garrett-level deal, their best play could be to trade them to someone who gladly will.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Florio: T.J. Watt is Ready For Any Outcome
