While they are continuing to work through T.J. Watt’s contract situation, the Pittsburgh Steelers have made no inquires to other teams about possibly trading their star pass rusher, according to Mark Kaboly, the Steelers Correspondent for “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Kaboly added that, while the two sides still have a lot of work to do regarding a possible extension, there is no anticipation for Watt to hold out when Pittsburgh opens training camp on July 23.
Watt, 30, is entering the final year of his four-year, $112 million contract extension that he signed just before the start of the 2022 regular season. Watt staged a hold-in during training camp that summer before he signed an extension that at the time made him the NFL’s highest-paid defender.
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Bryan DeArdo
It’s widely assumed that Watt wants to reclaim that status which is now being held by Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett after he signed a four-year, $160 million extension earlier this offseason.
Watt is currently the seventh highest-paid pass rusher in the NFL in terms of average annual salary. His current average annual salary of just over $28 million is nearly $12 million less than Garrett, who was briefly the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history before Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase surpassed him by $1 million.
The Steelers have the cap space to make Watt the NFL’s highest-paid defender; the question is whether that’s something they want to do.
While he was named to his seventh straight Pro Bowl last year, Watt’s 2024 season was below his usual standard. Watt led the NFL in forced fumbles, but his 11.5 sacks were 7.5 fewer than his 2023 tally. Watt had just two sacks during the Steelers’ five-game losing streak to close out the 2024 season. It’s safe to say the Steelers would like to see how Watt does this season before giving him a record-setting contract.
At this point, the most likely scenario is Watt signing an extension at some point between now and Week 1. Both sides want to get something down, and usually, when that’s the case, a deal ultimately gets done. Given the amount of money that’s being thrown around, it may take more time than usual to get pen to paper.
While trading Watt it’s not out of the realm of possibility, it’s highly unlikely that is what ultimately happens. That could obviously change, however, if the two sides reach and stalemate and Watt threatens to miss time during the regular season. There’s been no indication, however, that it’s even an option at this point for Watt, which is why the idea of the Steelers trading their best player remains far fetched at best.
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Author: Bryan DeArdo
July 11, 2025 | 7:45 pm
