The Steelers got one big name finally in the building for mandatory minicamp this week in Aaron Rodgers. However, they’re now without T.J. Watt, who’s skipping mandatory minicamp as he continues to wait on a new contract extension. That’s a familiar situation for Cam Heyward, who had a brief holdout himself last offseason. Speaking to the media after a minicamp practice on Wednesday, Heyward shared some thoughts on both Watt and his feelings during his own negotiations last offseason.
“There’s no reason for teammates to ever get drawn into it, and T.J. [Watt] is doing a good job of that… I think every situation is different, and through time, you wish everything was settled. From a player’s perspective, you always want your teammates taken care of as soon as possible, so you can just worry about football.”
Heyward has always been well-spoken, but obviously, he’d like Watt back as soon as possible. He’s not alone in that thought. Ever since being drafted, Watt has been the definition of what it means to be a Steeler. The team struggles to win when he’s not on the field. Going into the season with 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers leading the offense, the defense is going to need to play well throughout the year if the Steelers are going to have any success. For obvious reasons, the sooner Watt is back on the field, the easier that is to accomplish.
With that said, Watt certainly deserves his money. He’s watched other star edge rushers like Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby get hefty extensions, while his own contract comes in just above $21 million in its final year. There’s even a chance now that Micah Parsons will receive his extension before Watt, too. The longer that remains the same, the more it begins to feel like the Steelers are doing their star defender a disservice.
However, these negotiations are slightly different. Watt isn’t in his mid-20s anymore, like he was the last time he was in this situation. He’s now 30, and although his 2024 season was impressive, it was something of a down year compared to his standards. That’s not to say he’s starting to decline at all, as he could have a few more terrific years still ahead. Still, given his age, plus his 2024 production, it may make the Steelers less willing to match the monster contract Garrett received.
Heyward knows how Watt feels. He was in a similar situation last offseason, before he got his own extension. Heyward shared some of the thoughts that went through his mind when he was away from the team.
“It’s a lot of angst, lot of anxiety,” Heyward said. “It’s tough because you want to be a team player, you want to do right by the team. But you also want to know your worth… You want to be a steward; you want to be in the right place. But if you’re not getting the respect you deserve, it’s gonna create for hostility.”
In a lot of ways, Heyward’s situation last year is similar to what Watt is going through now. Both have spent their entire careers in Pittsburgh and had to fight to get a contract they think they deserved. For Heyward, his deal ended up working out for both parties. He managed to turn back the clock and have a terrific year in 2024. Looking at his deal now, it feels fair.
Watt will hope things work out the same way. He wants to be a Steeler, and the team wants to keep him around. It still seems more likely that he’ll remain a Steeler than anything else. His teammates will hope he’s back on the field sooner rather than later, though.
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