Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt sent social media into a frenzy yesterday with one click of a button, posting a picture of himself with two fingers up and appearing to give a peace sign.
Without any caption or context, a lot of fans assumed it was Watt trying to say goodbye to Pittsburgh, and with the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year due for an extension this offseason, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport believes that it could mean negotiations aren’t going well.
“When a player makes a cryptic social media post, it’s almost never nothing. So let’s assume for the sake of argument, for the sake of me actually having a reason to talk about this, that it is something,” Rapoport said Thursday on Good Morning Football.
To Rapoport, it seems “far-fetched” that Watt chose that picture because he looks good in it.
“Generally, when a player makes a social media post that forces us to talk about it on TV like we’re doing right now, it’s because contract negotiations are not going as well as anybody had hoped,” Rapoport said. “I think we can safely say that contract negotiations between T.J. Watt and the Steelers are not off to a rip-roaring start. Doesn’t mean they won’t get there; they’ve gotten there before. He is a great player who deserves any penny.”
Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show said that after talking to people, it doesn’t appear Watt’s post was “just by chance” and that while he still expects a deal to get done, the price tag could be higher than anticipated.
Sometimes, cryptic social media posts can just be nothing. Maybe Watt really did just like the picture and decide to put it on his story. But with the eighth-year veteran likely in the midst of contract negotiations and seeing other EDGE rushers like Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby get paid this season, there’s at least a possibility that it’s Watt trying to say he’s not happy with how things have gone.
Personally, I don’t think it’s really anything to get worked up about or worry about. Rapoport has covered plenty of these situations in the past, so it’s a little more notable when he chimes in with more than just general speculation, but even he said it’s a deal that could get done and has before.
Contract negotiations not going well isn’t anything new in the NFL. A player is always going to value themselves highly, and especially with Crosby and Garrett receiving extensions that reset the market, Watt is going to want to be close to or above Garrett’s $40 million APY. The Steelers might be hesitant to dole out that much right now, but there’s still plenty of time for the two sides to negotiate before the start of the regular season.
Watt’s post very well might be a sign that negotiations aren’t going well. But I don’t think it’s a sign that he won’t be in Pittsburgh in 2025 or beyond.
