Steelers Poised to Seal T.J. Watt Deal—But What’s the Surprising Twist Behind the Negotiations?

Back in 2021, T.J. Watt played a high-stakes waiting game at Steelers training camp—showing up to avoid fines but steering clear of hits until after locking in his future with a hefty four-year, $112 million contract just days before kickoff. Now, history seems poised to repeat itself. Despite Pittsburgh laying down a “pretty substantial” offer, Watt remains elusive, and whispers suggest talks are ongoing with hopes pinned on sealing a deal before the regular season’s opening whistle. Sure, obstacles linger, and true, negotiations are capped when the season’s underway—but with Watt’s new contract rumored to eclipse Myles Garrett’s massive $160 million pact, the stakes couldn’t be higher. At thirty, Watt isn’t just any edge rusher; he’s a sack king, a seven-time Pro Bowler with a record-tying 22.5 sacks in a single season. The clock’s ticking and all eyes are on this drama poised to reshape the Steelers’ defense. LEARN MORE

The Steelers have a club policy that ends all negotiations once the season begins, so they have three months to iron out an agreement. Watt ended up signing a four-year, 2 million extension three days before the start of the season.The sides might have “some resistance and not-so-minor stumbling blocks along the way” to a deal, Dulac adds.A day after a report that the Steelers have made a “pretty substantial” offer to Watt but “probably not” what Watt is looking for in his new deal comes word that nothing is imminent. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the sides are talking with the “expectation they will come to some agreement . . . before the start of the regular season.”In 2021, T.J. Watt held in at training camp while waiting for a contract extension. He was present to avoid daily fines, but he did not participate in the on-field work to avoid injury.

Watt, 30, led the league in sacks three of the previous five seasons, including matching the NFL’s all-time single-season record (22.5) in 2021. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro.It could be headed that way again.Watt’s new deal is expected to top the four-year, 0 million extension the Browns gave to edge rusher Myles Garrett.