Steelers Now
T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers are at an impasse. Heading into his ninth NFL season, the four-time first-team Associated Press All-Pro outside linebacker is waiting for a new deal. That standby has lasted longer than some might’ve thought it would.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio theorized Wednesday why that is, and his thought relates to Watt’s production down the stretch a season ago. Receiver and special teamer Ben Skowronek’s one tackle in the Steelers’ AFC Wild Card loss to Baltimore was more than Watt had.
“Yeah, I mean that’s more the common sense around the league,” Florio said, according to a video via 93.7 The Fan’s YouTube. “Why would the Steelers be waiting so long? Why would there be this sense that there’s a gap? You never pay a guy for what he’s done. If you pay guys for what they’ve done, you’re asking for trouble. And you know, the cliche used to be that the NFL is a ‘What have you done for me lately league? It’s not that either.
“It’s what are you doing for me right now and what do I expect you to do for me tomorrow? That’s what guys get paid on.”
Watt has led the league in sacks in three of the past five seasons, including 2023. He racked up 19 sacks that go-round, but finished second in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting to Steelers rival Myles Garrett.
“They don’t get paid on the past, they don’t get lifetime achievement contracts,” Florio said. “They get paid based on what we think this guy brings to the table right now, this year, next year and maybe one year beyond that. And that’s the key.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Insider Theorizes Reason for Steelers’ T.J. Watt Contract Delay
