{"id":52108,"date":"2025-05-30T02:38:46","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T02:38:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=52108"},"modified":"2025-05-30T02:38:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T02:38:46","slug":"breaking-steelers-fans-worry-about-t-j-watt-contract-holdout-after-cryptic-revelation-from-brother-j-j","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=52108","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Steelers Fans Worry About T.J. Watt Contract Holdout After Cryptic Revelation from Brother J.J…"},"content":{"rendered":"
T.J. Watt, 30, is entering his ninth season in the league and remains one of the game’s best defensive players, despite an arguably down 2024 season (to his standards) for the Steelers.<\/div>\n
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Pass rushers are getting paid.<\/p>\n

Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett got theirs. Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson will, too.<\/p>\n

The new number is in the range of $40 million annually for the position. …<\/p>\n

And\u00a0Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0star T.J. Watt obviously believes he’s due.<\/p>\n

Watt, who is entering the final year of a four-year $112 million contract, is missing from OTAs as he campaigns for a new deal. Call it a “voluntary holdout” that has Steelers fans worried … especially after the cryptic revelation from his famous brother J.J.<\/p>\n

T.J., the former Defensive Player of the Year, previously had the record for the highest-paid contract at his position when he signed that deal in 2021. This season without an extension, he’ll make $21.05 million on salary and cost $30.4 million total on the cap.<\/p>\n

T.J.’s brother J.J., a legend in his own right, appeared on\u00a0ESPN Wednesday. Although he didn’t address his brother’s situation very directly, he did mention some points to consider.<\/p>\n

\u201cOwnership and front offices obviously treat this like a business,\u201d J.J. said, \u201cbut they do not like it when the players flip the script on them and treat it like a business back.\u201d<\/p>\n

No problem there. Brother is on the side of brother.<\/p>\n

Anything else?<\/p>\n

“I have a lot of information on that subject,” he said. “That’s not my subject to discuss.”<\/p>\n

And on that crytpic note, The Steel City can open its mental floodgates as to the depth of the problem here.<\/p>\n

T.J. Watt, 30, is entering his ninth season in the league and remains one of the game’s best defensive players, despite a somewhat down 2024 season (to his standards).<\/p>\n

In 2024, he still racked up 11.5 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles. He has led the league in sacks a record three times and owns four First Team All-Pro honors to go with his 2021 DPOY.<\/p>\n

But how much do the Steelers want to pay a player “on the wrong side of 30”?<\/p>\n

Worth noting: They dished out $30 million to newcomer DK Metcalf this offseason. … and you can take an educated guess that that contract is in play here, too.<\/p>\n

Watt has all the qualifications necessary to potentially be the next highest-paid defensive player ever, it just comes down to when the Steelers agree to make that happen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

T.J. Watt, 30, is entering his ninth season in the league and remains one of the game’s best defensive players, despite an arguably down 2024 season (to… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":52115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nBREAKING: Steelers Fans Worry About T.J. 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