Steelers Now
ESPN insider Adam Schefter thinks Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt could holdout in season if his contract situation is unresolved.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt are reportedly not very close to a deal as he’s entering the final year of his contract. If the two sides can reach an agreement before the start of the season, could Watt holdout?
ESPN insider Adam Schefter isn’t ruling anything out.
“That’s a long way away. I’m not ready to say anything like that right now,” Schefter said on ESPN radio. “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.”
Watt has already shown he is not afraid to sit out to expedite the process. He skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp last month, so all eyes will be on Latrobe when the team reports to training camp in a couple of weeks.
Watt is currently 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.
That is likely the number Watt is trying to match or break, but some don’t believe he’s worth that much money coming off the least-productive full season of his NFL career.
However, the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year still proved to be a difference maker in 2024 while recording 11.5 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles.
That is why Schefter remains confident that Watt and the Steelers will eventually find common ground on an extension that gives him the payday he’s looking for and lets him finish his career in Pittsburgh.
“There’s a lot of time to work these things out,” Schefter said. “And even though the sides might be far apart right now, I still think that somehow with his importance to the franchise, that they’ll figure out a way to get this done at some point in time.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Insider Isn’t Ruling Out In-Season Holdout for Steelers T.J. Watt
