The Pittsburgh Steelers have some weird incentives for Aaron Rodgers, and there are still areas they need to improve for the 2025 season. Furthermore, they will have to decide how much money T.J. Watt will be fined for skipping mandatory minicamp.
Watt is on a veteran deal, which impacts the fines, according to a post on X by Adam Schefter.
Players on veteran deals, including the Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson and the Steelers’ T.J. Watt who are skipping mandatory minicamp, are subject to these fines:
🏈Day 1: $17,462
🏈Day 2: $34,925
🏈Day 3: $52,381
Three days total: $104,768.
Watt enters the final year of his deal, so the pressure is on the Steelers to work out an extension.
Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt getting older
It’s not a clear-cut decision for the Steelers because Watt will turn 31 years old in 2025. Throwing $40 million per year at a player that old might not make the best financial sense for the Steelers. But that’s the market set by Myles Garrett. Watt currently draws $28 million per year.
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Watt’s resume speaks loudly. He’s been in the league for eight years, and the only time he didn’t make the Pro Bowl came in his rookie season. For his career, he has 108 sacks, including a 22.5 outburst in 2021 when he earned the AP NFL defensive player of the year award.
Watt’s silent mode makes the situation a little more cloudy. He reportedly hasn’t spoken publicly since the end of the 2024 season.
Still, general manager Omar Kahn seems intent on keeping Watt in a Steelers uniform.
“I don't expect salaries to go down, so I expect them to keep increasing year-to-year,” Khan said. “I'm sure that's like in your industry too, right?
“I'm not going to get into the contract numbers, but if you're referring to T.J. [Watt], I assume, I'll just say that I'm very hopeful that T.J. will finish his career as a Steeler.”
The Steelers reportedly have an offer on the table for Watt. But to this point, Watt hasn’t put pen to paper.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Douglas Fritz is an experienced sports journalist covering the NFL, MLB, and NBA for ClutchPoints. Douglas spent over 30 years writing at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper covering University of Tennessee athletics. He is also a screenwriter, book writer, and songwriter.