Rapoport: Steelers Contract Negotiations with T.J. Watt Not Going as Well as Hoped
Insider Ian Rapoport thinks T.J. Watt's cryptic social media post means contract negotiations aren't going well with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt created a stir on Wednesday with a cryptic post of himself putting up the peace out sign on his Instagram Story. It has since been heavily debated if it means something as Watt is entering the final year of his contract.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport thinks it’s safe to say it does.
“Rarely is it actually nothing. Generally, when a player makes a cryptic social media post … it’s almost never nothing,” Rapoport said on “Good Morning Football.” “T.J. Watt is in a contract negotiation situation with the Pittsburgh Steelers. … Generally, when a player makes a social media post that forces us to talk about it on TV like we’re doing right now, it is because contract negotiations are not going as well as anybody had hoped.”
There has been some speculation that the Steelers could move on from Watt, who is coming off a bit of a down year at 30. In 2024, he registered the third least sacks in a season (11.5) in his career. The other two seasons were his rookie year (seven sacks) and 2022 (5.5 sacks) when he played in just 10 games due to a knee injury.
However, Watt shut down those rumors following the 2024 season.
“I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler,” Watt said. “You guys know that. I don’t want to leave this place. I want to be part of the solution. I’ve put so much into it here.”
Steelers general manager Omar Khan then followed suit saying that he is “very hopeful that T.J. will finish his career as a Steeler.”
Watt is severely underpaid based on the current market. The Cleveland Browns and star edge rusher Myles Garrett agreed to a record-setting contract extension that averages $40 million per year. That, of course, caught the attention of Watt, who is set to make just $21 million in 2025.
Several other edge rushers are still waiting to be paid, too. Dallas Cowboys Micah Parsons and Cincinnati Bengals Trey Hendrickson are both due for big paydays but have yet to receive them.
As a result, both players have become subject to trade talks. However, the Steelers are hoping that isn’t the case for Watt, despite the early speed bumps.
“I think we can safely say the contract talks between T.J. Watt and the Steelers are not off to a rippering start,” Rapoport said. “Doesn’t mean they won’t get there. They have gotten there before. He is a great player who deserves every penny. But for the sake of this argument right now in this discussion, let’s assume that T.J. Watt is not exactly the most thrilled person on earth dealing with his contract.”