When T.J. Watt‘s previous contract year arrived, he reported to Steelers minicamp and staged a training camp hold-in. This preceded a monster extension agreed upon days before the 2021 season. This time around, the future Hall of Fame edge rusher is taking a different route.
Watt did not show for the first day of Steelers minicamp, ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor notes. This came after The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicated the former Defensive Player of the Year was not expected to report for the mandatory set of workouts. Missing all three days will cost Watt just more than $104K; he made $21.1MM in base salary last season.
Minicamp absences have ticked up in recent years, and Watt will opt to make a point rather than take the hold-in route. Considering his importance to the Steelers’ mission — one that now officially includes a 41-year-old quarterback — Watt holding out at training camp would apply some pressure on the Steelers, who regularly use the late-summer camp period to hammer out extensions with the players they deem priorities. Watt is obviously one, as the Aaron Rodgers signing moves the OLB’s contract to the top of that list.
This is not viewed as a particularly contentious situation, though Watt’s minicamp absence is certainly not ideal for the AFC North team. Going into his ninth year with the Steelers, Watt has established himself as one of the most important defenders in modern NFL history. The Steelers are 1-10 without Watt in the lineup. Fortunately for Pittsburgh’s annual tightrope walk to playoff contention, the superstar pass rusher played in every game over the past two years.
Watt’s potential holdout comes amid a transformation for the edge rusher market. Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett and Danielle Hunter moved the market past $35MM per year. Garrett secured a $40MM-per-year accord. He and Watt’s careers having traversed parallel paths, save for a rather notable suspension handed to the Browns’ premier rusher, points to Watt wanting to reach that price range as well. Watt, though, is more than a year older than Garrett; he will turn 31 in October. Micah Parsons will also be interested in where Watt’s third contract comes in, as he can use his age (26) to leverage the Cowboys into making him the NFL’s highest-paid defender. Aidan Hutchinson‘s camp will be closely monitoring the Pittsburgh proceedings as well, but one of these players obviously will need to go first this summer.
The Steelers’ $28MM-per-year Watt extension stood as the league’s top EDGE deal for two years, before Nick Bosa‘s $34MM-AAV re-up moved the market. It took until this offseason for Bosa’s 49ers deal to be topped, but less accomplished edge performers Brian Burns and Josh Hines-Allen also topped Watt’s AAV in 2024. It is not known if the Steelers have submitted an offer in the Garrett range; based on Watt skipping OTAs and now Day 1 of minicamp, it would be safe to bet that has not happened. This deal may well end up costing more than the Steelers expected.
Steelers GM Omar Khan naturally wants Watt to finish his career in Pittsburgh, and another deal before a contract year commences will be expected (as the Steelers do not negotiate in-season). While it would be unexpected that this Watt saga drags to the 2026 franchise tag deadline, that would be a weapon the Steelers can use if no common ground can be reached by Week 1.