Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt is skipping mandatory mini-camp as he continues to seek a new contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The star edge rusher will likely turn down any deal that isn’t equal to or greater than the deal that Cleveland Browns' edge rusher Myles Garrett received, which was a $40 million per year deal.
Steelers standout edge rusher T.J. Watt, also seeking a new contract, is not attending Pittsburgh’s mandatory minicamp, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 10, 2025
Watt did not attend OTAs, which isn’t uncommon for veterans and din’t seem to draw up much attention. However, he will now be subjected to fines for missing mandatory dates on the schedule. Per Schefter, the fines over three days will accumulate to over $104,000.
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. https://t.co/m8KoGD1g6K pic.twitter.com/uhDE43eMwT
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 10, 2025
The Steelers have been in this situation before with Watt, which ended with him going to the negotiating table himself during training camp in 2021 and telling both sides to get a deal done. And while it is widely assumed a deal with Watt will be reached, the Steelers continuing to drag their feet isn’t a great look.