Though T.J. Watt made plenty of headlines this week by skipping mandatory minicamp, the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t losing their cool. With nearly three months until their season opener against the New York Jets, ESPN’s Adam Schefter gets the sense a deal will get done before Week 1 kicks off.
“I think that the Steelers feel comfortable that they’ll be able to work out something eventually with T.J. Watt,” Schefter said Thursday during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
Adam Schefter told The Pat McAfee show that he believes the Steelers feel comfortable that they will get the contract situation with T.J. Watt worked out at some point #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/UtXF7w2Pv4
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) June 12, 2025
Watt is looking to join the ranks of pass rushers who have been paid this offseason. Already, the Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby, Houston Texans’ Danielle Hunter, and Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett have received large deals that topped what Watt received in 2021.
Entering the last year of his contract, Watt understandably is angling for a new contract, but his situation has become more complicated by those deals. Garrett’s especially changed circumstances, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year not just becoming the league’s highest-paid EDGE rusher but completely resetting the market. He rescinded his trade request to take a mega-money deal that kept him in Cleveland.
Missing all three days leaves Watt subject to fines of over $100,000. But Schefter notes it’s money worth eating in pursuit of a long-term deal that could be worth more than $40 million average yearly value.
“Sometimes, they feel like it’s more important to make a statement to the team about how they feel than it is to show up and avoid being fined,” he said.
Other insiders have repeated Schefter’s belief a deal with Watt will occur. Like Aaron Rodgers, it’s a question of when instead of if. Ex-Steelers like Rod Woodson wants to see Pittsburgh change its model and get a deal done early.
Doing so would prevent the market becoming even more competitive with stars like Micah Parsons also seeking a deal. But if the organization sticks to its philosophy, a contract with Watt won’t get done until days before the Jets game. The good news is the last time that happened, Watt tied the NFL’s single-season sack record, making his contract saga worth the wait.
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