The Pittsburgh Steelers remain locked in a contract standoff with TJ Watt, and a new update suggests it might go on for a while longer.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler appeared on “SportsCenter” Saturday and discussed where things stand between Watt and the Steelers. Guaranteed money and the length of the deal are sticking points, but Fowler said that the Steelers are still not willing to consider trade offers for Watt, and that there is a belief that the process will ultimately end with Pittsburgh making Watt the highest-paid pass rusher in the NFL.
“I talked to somebody with the team who said, ‘Look, these are complicated deals to do, but we are working on it. We want TJ Watt here,'” Fowler said. “There’s not a lot of traction right now as far as a potential trade, although there would certainly be a lot of interest if the Steelers would tap into that.
“This is a situation where he’s probably going to be the highest-paid edge rusher in the league when this is all said and done. It just depends on when the Steelers can do it. Typically, they like to do their deals either around training camp or leading into Week 1, so this is far from over.”
Pass rush market has exploded. By summer’s end, at least six of top-end rushers should or will have secured mega deal since March.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 5, 2025
Taking stock of T.J. Watt, Trey Hendrickson and Micah Parsons status on @SportsCenter with @SkubieMageza pic.twitter.com/kaLLODTs0h
Watt is entering the final year of his current contract, which pays him $21 million. Myles Garrett of the Browns got a $40 million annual salary this summer, so Watt will be aiming to beat that. That could prove complex for the Steelers, who just took on a lot of money in a trade that sparked speculation about Watt’s future.
Watt turns 31 in October. He had 61 tackles and 11.5 sacks with 6 forced fumbles in 17 games last season. Garrett had 47 tackles, 14 sacks and 22 tackles for a loss in 17 games last season.
