UPDATE: After his appearance on 93.7, Kaboly tweeted that, according to sources, there is “no anticipation” that Watt will hold out and added that the team hasn’t made any trade inquiries on Watt.
Original story below.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
One of the final orders of business for the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason is getting an extension done with OLB T.J. Watt. That extension may not get done before the Steelers report to training camp on July 23, and it could lead to a holdout. Appearing on The PM Team on 93.7 The Fan today, Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show said new information has him questioning whether or not Watt will hold out after previously believing there was no chance.
“I’ll put it this way, I was hellbent, absolutely certain, that he was going to not hold on out of training camp. After a piece of information was passed along, maybe I’m wavering on it a little bit now,” Kaboly said.
Kaboly wouldn’t reveal the information that he’s heard, but it sounds as if it’s in line with recent reports that the Steelers and Watt aren’t close on coming to terms on a deal. While Kaboly said he never thought Watt would hold out, he has been adamant that a deal likely won’t get done until right before the start of the regular season. A holdout could put the pressure on the Steelers to get a deal done sooner, but Watt also may want to wait and survey the market to see if Micah Parsons, Aidan Hutchinson and Trey Hendrickson sign extensions.
Hendrickson will likely get less than Watt, but there’s a chance that one of Parsons or Hutchinson resets the market. With Myles Garrett making $40 million average per year, Watt likely wants to beat that number and also ensure he has enough guaranteed money. The guaranteed money has been speculated as one of the reasons for the holdup in getting the deal done, and Watt can show his disdain by holding out.
During his contract dispute in 2021, Watt held in, working off to the side and being around the team but not taking part in team drills. That remains a possibility for this season, but the chances of him not showing up at all seem to be increasing. It would be Pittsburgh’s first true contract holdout since Le’Veon Bell missed the entire 2018 season. While it would be highly unlikely for things to reach that level with Watt and the Steelers, a holdout would be notable and it would continue to amplify the situation.
Watt likely (and rightfully) feels as if he’s done enough over the past few seasons to be the highest-paid EDGE rusher in the league, while the Steelers may have some trepidation after his slow second half last season. Both arguments are fair, but at the end of the day, Watt is an integral part to the Steelers’ success. Failing to extend him would be a major risk, and ultimately, it seems as if a deal will get done. It’s just a matter of when, and tension between the two sides could get worse before it gets better.
