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The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the middle of contract negotiations with star pass rusher TJ Watt as the franchise looks to secure its most valuable defensive asset. Watt, 30, skipped the team’s mandatory minicamp, signaling urgency for a new long-term extension. Despite speculative trade rumors, the Steelers have made it clear that they want to retain Watt.
“I talked to somebody with the team who said, ‘Look, these are complicated deals to do, but we are working on it. We want T.J. Watt here,’” reported ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on SportsCenter.
The primary holdup in negotiations is guaranteed money and contract length, a known sticking point for the Steelers.
“It’s guaranteed money, and it’s term length. A lot of the details, they get sticky this time of year, especially as you’re leading up to training camp,” Fowler explained.
The Steelers are one of only three franchises with this restrictive approach, putting them at a disadvantage in a market where edge rusher salaries now regularly exceed $25 million per year with large guarantees.
Watt, entering the final year of his four-year, $112 million contract signed in 2021, which included $80 million fully guaranteed, expects to become the highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL.
His elite performance supports this expectation. He has 108 career sacks, ranking fourth among active players, and a resume that includes four First Team All-Pro selections and the 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year award.
In 2024, TJ Watt played all 17 games, registering 61 total tackles, 11.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four passes defended. His 19 sacks in the 2021 season led the NFL, and his consistent production remains unmatched among pass rushers.
Fowler believes the likely outcome is a record-breaking extension.
“This is a situation where he’s probably going to be the highest-paid edge rusher in the league when this is all said and done. It just depends on when the Steelers can do it,” he said.
Fowler also noted that Pittsburgh “typically like[s] to do their deals either around training camp or leading into Week 1.”
The Steelers report to training camp on July 23 with the regular-season opener scheduled for September 7 against the New York Jets. The urgency to finalize a deal is growing, especially given the recent surge in edge rusher salaries.
“Pass rush market has exploded,” Fowler wrote on X. “By summer’s end, at least six of top-end rushers should or will have secured mega deal(s) since March.”
Training camp is nearing, and if the Steelers budge on guarantees, Watt could land the richest deal ever for an edge rusher.
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