Everybody seems to think T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers eventually work out a deal, but all reports continue to state the two sides are far apart in their negotiations. They now figure to play a game of chicken with players reporting to training camp in under a week. Whether or not Watt shows up may come down to leverage.
“To say that any of us know a hundred percent that he’s gonna be there for training camp, I don’t think is accurate,” 93.7 The Fan’s Jeff Hathhorn said Thursday on The Fan Morning Show. “He shows up, he loses leverage. I don’t think he’s going to, just based on the fact he didn’t show up at mandatory minicamp. I think this is gonna drag out. I still think they’ll get it done, but I don’t expect him at the beginning of training camp.”
Watt ratcheted up the pressure by skipping mandatory minicamp, which was an escalation of his negotiation tactics from 2021 when the Steelers made him the highest-paid defensive player in football. He is likely aiming for that same outcome once again, but something prompted him to go about the negotiation process differently this time around.
As a new father, maybe Watt took the opportunity to send a message and get more valuable time with his newborn baby and wife. That’s not such a big deal at a three-day minicamp. It would be a whole different conversation at training camp.
Unfortunately for Watt, he lacks much leverage in the situation. His camp can point to Myles Garrett’s contract and Watt’s stats over the last several years, but unless Watt is willing to sit out for an entire season at 31 years old then his leverage ends there. The Steelers, on the other hand, have him under contract for 2025, have the franchise tag in their back pocket for 2026, and can point to his age and his poor finish to the 2024 season.
Even if Watt demanded a trade, I’m not so sure it would be possible to accomplish on the Steelers’ end. They aren’t going to take pennies on the dollar for a player like Watt, and no team that would want to go all-in on an aging player would have an easy time making cap space to accommodate his soon-to-be record-breaking contract.
Unless Watt wants to use the nuclear option and start making trade demands, his only negotiating tool is to hold out of camp. If he shows up, it’s a signal to the Steelers that he will eventually cave and take their best offer like he did last time. Being that this is likely Watt’s final NFL contract, he has every reason to want to get it right and maintain his leverage.
The $50,000 per day in fines is nothing for a player seeking $40 million per season. I also don’t think Watt is likely to initially show up to camp. If he does, perhaps it’s a good sign that a deal is closer than what’s being reported.
