Steelers' Surprisingly Arrogant Stance Towards TJ Watt In 2021 Is Likely The Cause Of Current Standoff

The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently working on building up their roster for the 2025 season. The organization has already brought in Aaron Rodgers, Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith, and DK Metcalf. It is safe to say that the roster is going to look much differently than it did during the 2024 season, but Pittsburgh is still dealing with some major issues. The franchise has some holes to fill on the roster as it currently stands, and a contract extension must be agreed to with star outside linebacker TJ Watt. The defender has never been part of a playoff win, yet he has made a tremendous impact throughout his career.

Watt is entering the final year of his contract that he signed in 2021, and he wants a lucrative extension. He deserves it as he is a clear future Hall of Famer, and he has had a major impact on the Steelers. Some could say his defensive efforts have won the team a ton of ball games alone. The organization had a chance to extend him ahead of the 2024 season, but chose not to. Now, the edge rusher market has been reset thanks to new contracts for Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby, so Pittsburgh is going to have to pay more than they would have during the 2024 offseason.

NFL insider Aditi Kinkhabwala joined 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday to discuss Watt's current contract situation, and she gave some insight on the situation.

"Here's what the disconnect is, and this is what happened the last time around in these negotiations," Kinkhabwala said. "TJ Watt was openly told, 'You're fortunate to be a Steeler.' And his response was, 'You're fortunate to have me.' The Steelers' attitude, the Steelers' mindset, and you see this from so many fans too, is that it is such a privilege to be in this uniform, to wear this helmet, that therefore you should take a hometown discount just because you get to play for one of these cornerstone trademark organizations."

Watt was going through negotiations for his first extension ahead of the 2021 season, and it did not go well. He held-in during training camp, meaning he was present, but did not participate in any practices. Ahead of the 2025 season, he is expected to holdout entirely if a deal is not agreed to ahead of time.

What Watt was told about him being fortunate to be in Pittsburgh is a clear sign that the organization is living in the past. It is one of the most successful franchises in the history of sports, but the success hasn't been seen in a long time. The last playoff win for the team came during the 2016 season, which was nearly a decade ago. Watt has not won a playoff game at the professional level, and that is something that could make him look to play elsewhere.

Steelers' TJ Watt Is Open To Anything

It has been reported that Watt is willing to let these negotiations go as far as possible, and he is open to any possibility. That could include playing for another team, or missing out on some regular season contests to begin the season due to him holding out. Pittsburgh does not normally conduct contractual business during the season, so it seems like there is a hard deadline to get a deal done.

Things could get even worse for the Steelers, as Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys is also due an extension. He could certainly wind up with a contract that is larger than both Garrett's and Crosby's. This would push Watt's price tag up even higher, and make it even harder for the organization to get a deal done with its key defensive piece.