Steelers star T.J. Watt skips OTAs while waiting for new contract extension in Pittsburgh
T.J. Watt has been away from the Pittsburgh Steelers this week while he waits for his new deal.
While his decision to skip the team's voluntary workouts could be due to a number of reasons, it could also be a sign of what's to come amid negotiations for a deal that may very well make him the highest-paid defender in football.
Watt is currently set to enter the final year of his four-year, $112 million extension with the Steelers this fall. That will pay him just more than $21 million, which is roughly half of what the market is now set at for a pass rusher. Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett makes $40 million per season on his contract, which is the largest defensive deal in the league. It's unclear if Watt will surpass that deal, but he's clearly proven himself as an elite defender throughout his eight seasons in the league.
Watt has led the NFL in sacks three times, including in 2021 when he matched the league record with 22.5 sacks. Watt was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year that season. He's led the league in forced fumbles twice, too, and he has 108 sacks in his career.
Though last season was a bit of a down year for him — he had 61 total tackles and 11.5 sacks, which were his worst numbers in a complete season since his rookie campaign — Watt is still one of the best defenders in the league even as he is set to turn 31 this fall.
Again, Watt's reasoning for skipping OTAs this week are not known. It's very possible that it's not contract-related whatsoever. But with a contract issue ongoing, it could absolutely become an issue in the weeks and months to come if it's not solved soon.
Thankfully, though, it doesn't sound like either side wants to move on here.
'I'm confident he's not going anywhere,' Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith said on the NFL Network earlier this month.
'I know that he loves being here. He loves being in Pittsburgh and the city of Pittsburgh loves him. So I know that they're going to do whatever they can to get a deal done, hopefully sooner than later because everyone knows he's a generational talent, generational player. So we all know that he wants to be in this building.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
26 minutes ago
- USA Today
Redraft of 2020 first round has Arizona Cardinals going with All-Pro D-lineman
Redraft of 2020 first round has Arizona Cardinals going with All-Pro D-lineman We know that Isaiah Simmons was a disappointment with the eighth overall pick. Who did they get in PFN's redraft? The Arizona Cardinals used the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft to select linebacker Isaiah Simmons. It was a pick that didn't work out too well. He had a couple of productive seasons and then didn't fit in the defense when Jonathan Gannon became head coach. Since then, he has done very little. In hindsight, the Cardinals should have gone a different direction. They could have receiver CeeDee Lamb or tackle Tristan Wirfs. But in a redraft of the first round of the 2020 draft by Pro Football Network, they don't go with either one of those players as Wirfs and Lamb go in the two previous picks. Instead, the Cardinals get defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike, known previously as Justin Madubuike. Madubuike has turned into one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL, as he's combined for 19.5 sacks and two Pro Bowls within the last two seasons. Imagine Madubuike in the middle of the defense. The Cardinals have struggled on the defensive interior. Of course, Madubuike was drafted in the third round, so literally no one saw him doing what he is doing now. It is undeniable that he would have been a better pick in hindsight. Considering the need the Cardinals had at receiver, they could have had Lamb or Brandon Aiyuk. Either way, Simmons wasn't it. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
USA Today
41 minutes ago
- USA Today
Steelers rookie DT Derrick Harmon spotted shadowing Cam Heyward at OTAs
Steelers rookie DT Derrick Harmon spotted shadowing Cam Heyward at OTAs Derrick Harmon is trying to follow in Cam Heyward's footsteps — literally — as the rookie defensive tackle shadowed the veteran Steeler throughout OTAs. PennLive's Nick Farabaugh reported that the mentorship was similar to how T.J. Watt took Nick Herbig under his wing — wherever Heyward went, Harmon followed. For the Steelers rookie, it's simple: he just wants to learn from as many veteran minds as possible. "I told them I'm asking questions," Harmon told reporters on Thursday. "That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to learn." The Steelers rookie has an ingenious recipe for success — leaning on Heyward's 14 NFL seasons as an invaluable resource. Harmon recently appeared on the podcast Not Just Football with Cam Heyward and spoke highly of watching the veteran Steelers DT growing up — as well as letting everyone know that he's looking forward to stopping Ravens RB Derrick Henry in 2025. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: Michael Taaffe, SAF, Texas
NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: Michael Taaffe, SAF, Texas Summer is here, and it is everyone's favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Bucs fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Tampa Bay. Are we going to write about quarterbacks? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Bucs, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Bucs fans can be the most informed fans. So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall. Player Information Player: Michael Taaffe School: Texas Height/Weight: 6-0/195 lbs. Player Background - 0-Star Recruit - Second-Team All-State DB in High School - 5th Generation Texas Longhorn in his family - Intercepted Quinn Ewers in State Title Game in High School - Committed to Rice but decided to walk on to Texas Career Stats Heading into the 2025 Season - 152 tackles - 10 Tackles for Loss - 2 Sacks - 5 Interceptions Notable PFF Numbers Heading into the 2025 Season - 68.9 PFF Run Grade - 67.5 PFF Coverage Grade - 19% Missed Tackle Rate - 32 Defensive Stops - 10 Pass Breakups Player Traits - Good closing speed on ball carriers - Can make tackles in the open field - Fluid in change of direction due to hip and footwork ability - Excellent ball skills - Above average coverage ability Player Summary Another fun safety prospect in this class is Michael Taaffe. The Texas defensive back has shown he can be rangy, a playmaker, and a disruptor on a defense that arrived in the SEC with questions surrounding it. He helped them get acclimated quickly, and they showed they could play with the big boys, and Taafe was a major reason for that. He can be just as impactful in the pass game, as he is in the run, which makes him one of the better defenders in college football, no one is talking about.
