Ever since free agency began, and the Pittsburgh Steelers lost out on Justin Fields, Aaron Rodgers has completely taken over the offseason. However, he’s not the only important player the Steelers have to deal with. T.J. Watt is heading into the final year of his contract and has yet agree to a contract extension with Pittsburgh. In his weekly chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Brian Batko pondered whether Watt might be upset that Rodgers has taken precedence over his negotiations.
“Part of me does wonder if T.J. is at least the slightest bit perturbed that this Steelers offseason has been so much more about the pursuit/waiting game for a 41-year-old quarterback than locking up the face of the franchise,” Batko wrote.
Batko is speculating here, not claiming this is how Watt actually feels. However, it would be hard to blame Watt if he does feel that way. On Friday, Mark Kaboly reported that the Steelers do have an offer for Watt. That said, the fact that Watt hasn’t agreed to a deal yet is a sure sign that he doesn’t believe that offer is good enough.
If Watt wants more money, it’s hard to blame him. By waiting to extend him, the Steelers allowed both Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby to get paid before Watt. Garrett’s new deal pays him around $40 million per year. That’s now a part of the Steelers’ negotiations with Watt.
The Steelers are getting plenty of flak for their continued wait on Rodgers though they don’t really have another option at quarterback. But if Rodgers doesn’t sign, it’s going to look bad for the same franchise that didn’t want to pony up enough money to keep Fields or make a competitive offer for Sam Darnold.
It’s not as if Rodgers’ 2025 contract will massively impact Watt’s deal. Rodgers has stated he’s not demanding a ton of money, and his deal will not affect Watt’s extension. However, Rodgers has surely kept the Steelers from putting all their focus on Watt’s contract situation. This is just another way the Steelers might look bad if Rodgers ends up spurning them. By focusing on Rodgers instead, they’ve allowed Watt’s price to go up for no apparent reason.
Right now, there’s no real risk of losing Watt. However, he could be feeling some frustration with how this offseason is playing out. He’s only getting older and has yet to win a playoff game. And for the past couple of seasons, he’s watched the Steelers cycle through QBs with no end to that in sight.
Now, they’re allowing a player who’s never played a down for the Black and Gold take precedence over Watt, one of the better players in franchise history and one who still has some gas left in the tank.
