Steelers’ T.J. Watt Expected To Reset Edge Rusher Market

T.J. Watt’s contract situation continues to loom large over the Pittsburgh Steelers offseason, with little traction reported as the start of training camp approaches.

The veteran edge rusher, now 30, is entering the final year of the record-setting deal he signed in 2021. That contract, worth just over $112 million, made Watt the league’s top-paid pass rusher at the time. But recent market shifts, highlighted by Myles Garrett’s $160 million extension with the Cleveland Browns, have added new urgency to negotiations.

Watt sat out of Pittsburgh’s mandatory minicamp last month, a move that turned up the heat on the ongoing talks. While trade speculation has surfaced around the league, the Steelers have no intention of moving their star defender.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the franchise remains committed to keeping Watt in the fold.

“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,’” Fowler said, as transcribed by Jakob Camenker of USA Today.

Even with clear interest on both sides, the holdup appears tied to structure and guarantees. Fowler noted that sticking points include “guaranteed money” and “term length,” the kind of fine print that tends to stall summer deals.

Still, Pittsburgh is expected to act. Fowler added that the belief around the league is that Watt will likely land the biggest edge rusher contract in NFL history; it is just a matter of timing.

The team’s typical negotiating window opens during camp and stretches into the regular season’s first week, suggesting there is still runway to get a deal done.

Until then, the pressure builds, and Steelers fans remain anxious.

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