The Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to go all-in during Aaron Rodgers final season in the NFL in 2025. Pittsburgh finished with a 10-7 record during the 2024 season and the Steelers have not won a playoff game since the 2016 season.
One of the biggest distractions for the Steelers before the 2025 season begins is whether or not T.J. Watt will be signed to a long-term deal. Watt has been mentioned in trade rumors, but Pittsburgh would most likely be unwilling to trade him elsewhere. With Watt entering the final year of his contract, will he hold out to begin training camp or will something else occur?
Pittsburgh Steelers T.J. Watt Could Be Getting a Massive Pay Day In the Future
There are many questions about Watt’s future with the Steelers organization. He is 30 years old, and he will turn 31 years old on October 11. Is it worth it for Pittsburgh to sign him to a long-term deal or are the Steelers just better off trading him or letting him walk at the end of the season? Those are a lot of questions that general manager Omar Khan will have to answer.
Mike DeFabo of the Athletic knows that the one player on the Steelers roster to potentially watch out for when it comes to a future contract with the team is Watt. DeFabo said,
“Back in 2021, the Steelers made Watt the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player when they signed the star edge rusher to a four-year, $112-million extension. However, to get his money, Watt had to stage a prolonged “hold-in” that wasn’t resolved until the Thursday before the season opener. As Watt enters the final year of his current deal, he has again brought attention to his unresolved contract situation by skipping OTAs and mandatory minicamp. While both sides have expressed a desire for Watt to finish his career in Pittsburgh, will they come to a resolution more quickly this time around, and how close will Watt get to matching Myles Garrett’s deal, which pays the Cleveland edge rusher $40 million per season?”
Steelers fans think Watt is the best defensive player in the NFL and Browns fans think Garrett is the best defensive player in the NFL. Some people think that Pittsburgh will not be contenders in 2025, and they maybe should look to trade him. During the 2024 season with the Steelers, Watt recorded 61 tackles, 11.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four pass deflections.
Paying him over $40 million per season on a potential new contract will cause backlash and excitement no matter what. Pittsburgh is in a no-win situation with Watt’s contract. The Steelers always believed to be a win-now team, but this is a team that is potentially tone deaf to a rebuild, and they need a total hard reset.
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