T.J. Watt escalated his negotiating tactics from his last contract extension by skipping mandatory minicamp, but things could get really interesting if he decides to no-show at training camp. One Pittsburgh Steelers beat reporter thinks that could be the outcome when players report to Latrobe in less than two weeks.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a no-show,” the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo said Wednesday via 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show. “We haven’t heard yet from T.J.’s camp what the plans are, but all the big stars who had contract issues sat out of minicamp. I think we might see the same thing again in training camp.”
Watt showed up, but did not participate in training camp back in 2021. That deal didn’t get worked out until the eleventh hour, just days before the start of the regular season. This year has a different set of circumstances with multiple top pass rushers still waiting to get paid. Negotiations could get even more difficult if the Steelers wait that long and allow Micah Parsons or Trey Hendrickson to beat them to the punch.
The media pressure will ramp up if Watt does ultimately hold out, but there’s currently no reason to believe a deal won’t eventually get done.
“I don’t think that panic button, you might wanna get it close if it’s a week before the season and T.J. is still holding out [and] there’s no communication,” Fittipaldo said. “But as long as the lines of communication are open and they’re still negotiating and things aren’t very bitter between the two parties, I think we’ll be fine.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has consistently reported that the two sides remain far apart in negotiations.
At 30 years old and a virtual lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday, I would imagine Watt’s main motivation is finally getting his first playoff win and competing for a Super Bowl. The Steelers’ offseason moves made it clear they are serious about contending, and this may be the best roster that Watt’s been on since 2018 when he was just breaking out as an NFL star.
The only way that the Steelers would trade Watt is if negotiations take a turn for the worse and Watt informs the team that he’d like to move on. The Steelers have a long history of trading players who want to go, but I have faith they will avoid letting things get that out of hand with one of the best players in the NFL. Without him, all of the other aggressive offseason moves don’t make any sense.
