When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ voluntary practices at the end of the month, the story is never about who is there. It’s all about who might not show up. Though optional, if EDGE T.J. Watt and WR George Pickens don’t attend, it’ll draw headlines. Both players are entering the final year of their contracts and are seeking long-term deals.
Post-Gazette beat writer Brian Batko thinks Watt and Pickens enter the spring as the team’s biggest storylines, no matter if they show up or not.
“I think if T.J. Watt and or George Pickens are present, those two guys in their contract situations probably supersede Mason somewhat,” Batko told 93.7 The Fan’s Joe Starkey, disagreeing with Starkey’s belief that Mason Rudolph is the No. 1 storyline.
Pittsburgh has repeatedly stated its desire to extend Watt and keep him with the franchise the rest of his career. The situation’s gotten more complicated by Myles Garrett’s mega-extension at $40 million per year, blowing the roof off the pass-rush market.
Watt made waves earlier this offseason with a cryptic social media post of him sharing a “peace” sign, leading to speculation he wasn’t happy with his contract situation. Those talks have cooled down but Watt’s desire for a new deal, regardless of what that message meant, likely hasn’t changed.
Made the highest-paid pass rusher in his 2021 deal, Watt will be angling to repeat that outcome. That means topping Garrett’s figure, a hefty price for Pittsburgh to pay.
Pickens is far less likely to receive an extension. DK Metcalf received the Steelers’ big-money deal for the receiver room, a $150 million contract. Pickens has largely stayed quiet this offseason, aside from unfollowing the team on Instagram, but his actions when the team comes together in the spring and for training camp will be key.
“I don’t know that those two guys are gonna be there,” Batko admitted.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if either missed some or all of the team’s voluntary OTAs. Even last year, Pickens didn’t attend every single practice and he likely wasn’t alone. Cam Heyward briefly protested his contract situation by skipping most OTA sessions before landing a long-term deal shortly before Week 1.
For Watt and Pickens, the most telling portion of the offseason will be the Steelers’ mandatory minicamp June 10-12 followed by the start of training camp, a date unannounced but always occurring in late July.
