The Pittsburgh Steelers are at an interesting crossroads with superstar pass rusher TJ Watt. After an aggressive offseason, General Manager Omar Khan has balanced keeping the Steelers in win-now mode for 2025 while simultaneously positioning the team for the future. By securing 12 expected draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, Khan has done what many thought was impossible by building both short-term competitiveness and long-term flexibility.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan intently making a crucial phone call during the intensity of draft night, coordinating key decisions to shape the future of the franchise.
Despite these bold moves, the Steelers’ offseason strategy will not fully pay off unless they get something done with Watt. The star defender remains a crucial piece of the team’s identity and pass rush, making his contract situation one of the most important unresolved issues. Without clarity on Watt’s future, the Steelers risk losing a cornerstone player as they try to contend.
On Monday, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler shed light on the real holdup between Watt and the Steelers during his showing on ESPN's Get Up. His report revealed the underlying issues causing the delay, offering fans a clearer understanding of what is at stake and what might finally push both sides toward a resolution.
"Pittsburgh remains optimistic. I'm told they want to get a deal done," Fowler said. "I know there's been the trade chatter out there. Teams I've talked to don't really expect him to be moved, but this is an issue of guaranteed money as a sticking point."
Fowler shared some very telling information about Watt’s contract situation. It’s definitely not about Watt refusing to be the highest-paid pass rusher in the league. It's also not about the Steelers refusing to make Watt the highest-paid pass rusher in the NFL. So what's the issue?
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Steelers' TJ Watt talks with Head Coach Mike Tomlin during a regular season game against the Green Bay Packers.
According to Fowler, the Steelers are ready and willing to make Watt the highest-paid pass rusher in the NFL. The real issue, however, revolves around guaranteed money and other finer details in the contract negotiations.
"The structure of the deal, all those details," Fowler said. "'Cause most people I talk to around the league do expect him to be the highest-paid pass rusher when he does get paid. That doesn't seem to be an issue. It's about the other details that they haven't been able to lock in on between the team and the player."
This is interesting because many Steelers fans assumed the holdup might be Pittsburgh’s reluctance to make Watt the highest-paid pass rusher in the league. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case at all. The Steelers are comfortable offering Watt that status. The real issue lies in other details within the contract.
Watt is now 30 years old and coming off a 2024 season where he struggled to make his usual impact late in the year. He was playing through injuries that clearly hampered his overall production. On top of that, Watt faced an incredible amount of attention from opposing offenses, which helps explain why he didn’t have his usual splash plays down the stretch.
Steelers Don't Want To Guarantee TJ Watt Money At A Certain Age
The guaranteed money is certainly an interesting aspect of this contract situation with Watt. If the Steelers don’t want to guarantee him money, it’s likely in the later years of the contract. Probably around the third year, Watt wants that money guaranteed, but the Steelers may hesitate because of his age at that stage in his career.
AP
Steelers’ superstar TJ Watt delivering a powerful sack on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, showcasing his relentless pass-rushing skills and game-changing impact on the field.
It could be a combination of many smaller details. The salary cap makes it difficult for NFL teams to commit so much money to one player, but with the way the cap increases every year, there are plenty of ways to do cap gymnastics and make it work. Considering Watt’s production and everything he brings to the team, it’s time to just get this deal done and pay the price to keep one of the best players in the NFL.
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