The Pittsburgh Steelers are already one of the most talked about teams in the NFL thanks to the organization's current situation at quarterback. Pittsburgh will continue to be in the spotlight as Aaron Rodgers will be making his decision about his future eventually, and Organized Team Activities (OTAs) are rapidly approaching. OTAs are optional, but it is the time of year where fans can get a good grasp on how certain players are feeling about their contract situations. Two names to watch in 2025 are going to be edge rusher TJ Watt and wide receiver George Pickens, as both players are coming up on the final year of their current deals.
Both Watt and Pickens are important to the Steelers, but one is much more likely to receive an extension than the other. Watt has arguably been the best game wrecker in the league over the last five years or so, and the Steelers will surely do everything in their power to ensure he stays in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career. Pickens on the other hand is a more complicated situation. The receiver has shown little-to-no maturity throughout his young career, and the franchise just traded for (and extended) DK Metcalf. This makes Pickens expendable, which means an extension isn't a pressing need for the Steelers.
Beat writer Brian Batko joined 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday, where he was asked about the biggest story for the Steelers as the spring gets underway. He mentioned both player's contracts as he disagreed with Joe Starkey, who thought the biggest story would be Mason Rudolph, and Batko suspected neither player would show up to OTAs.
"I think if TJ Watt and/or George Pickens are present, those two guys in their contract situations probably supersede Mason somewhat," Batko said. "I don't know that those two guys are gonna be there."
Not showing up to OTAs is not the end of the world, but the fan base would like to see both players in Pittsburgh when they get underway. Watt is a defensive leader and it would be good to see him there with the rest of the team, while Pickens going to OTAs without an extension might be the type of maturity the organization needs to see from the young wide receiver.
OTAs are optional, and Head Coach Mike Tomlin has said in the past that he does not put any pressure on his players to be there. In 2024, Cam Heyward was seeking an extension and he initially said he was going to hold out, but he wound up showing up and he eventually got a deal done.
Fans shouldn't worry too much if Pickens and Watt are not at OTAs. Neither player showed up for voluntary offseason workouts, which might be a sign of their intentions with OTAs. The time to worry will be once mandatory minicamp begins on June 10th, and if neither player is in attendance.
Steelers' TJ Watt Has Held-In Before
Contractual business typically gets serious once training camp begins. If a deal is not done by then, players will hold out until they get their new contract. This has been the case with Watt before as he held-in ahead of the 2021 season before agreeing on his extension with the organization. The star defender chose to hold-in, meaning he was still in attendance at training camp, but just not participating. This makes the entire situation less of a distraction, and it shows that both sides are working hard to get something done.
Pickens will likely not be extended, and the organization has probably told his representatives that by now. It will be interesting to see how he handles his business, as a hold-out is certainly possible. Pickens has made it clear he wants to be in Pittsburgh, and the young wide receiver could come into the new year with his mind set on getting better. He could look to prove himself throughout the 2025 season, which could lead to a large pay day after the season ends.
