The Pittsburgh Steelers’ contract extension negotiations with superstar linebacker T.J. Watt appear to be trending in the wrong direction with training camp quickly approaching. According to one Steelers insider, there’s a clear discord between Watt and the team that could be the cause for the holdup.
Watt has made it clear this offseason that he’s looking for a new contract as he prepares to enter the final year of his current deal. While other star pass rushers across the league like Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby have earned new contracts, there hasn’t been much progress when it comes to Watt’s deal.
Things took an unexpected turn when Pittsburgh pulled off a trade with the Miami Dolphins for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith, handing both of them new deals immediately after acquiring them. Reports emerged suggesting that Watt was “unhappy” with the Steelers, and that teams across the league may be more inclined to see if he’d be available for trade.
Pittsburgh has not indicated that they are looking to trade Watt yet, but it’s clear things aren’t going great when it comes to these extension talks. According to Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports, Watt took exception to being told that he’s “fortunate” to be playing for the Steelers, responding by saying they are “fortunate” to have him.
“Here’s what the disconnect is,” Kinkhabwala said on “93.7 The Fan.” “This is what happened the last time around in these negotiations. T.J. Watt was openly told, ‘You’re fortunate to be a Steeler.’ And his response was, ‘You’re fortunate to have me.'”
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The Steelers have managed to mend fences with Watt before, but it’s clear there are some real issues percolating between the two sides right now. There’s still time for a deal to get done, but considering how quickly training camp is approaching, this issue appears to have the potential to stretch on for another couple of weeks.
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