T.J. Watt has been looking for a new contract during training camp, and was so set on getting it that he hasn’t been taking part in full practices as part of a hold-in. That effort could end up costing him the chance to play in the first week of the regular season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers confirmed Monday that Watt’s hold-in continued Monday, with the linebacker working on his own individually and not taking part in team drills. This, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, makes it less likely that Fowler will be ready to play for Week 1.
Week 1 feels in doubt absent a new deal in short order. Watt stays in excellent shape but Steelers value practice-in-order-to-play with pretty much all players. https://t.co/BLsgjcBfwT
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 6, 2021
It would be a pretty significant blow for the Steelers to start the season, especially in a pretty big game against the Buffalo Bills. Watt led the league with 15 sacks in 2020, and is arguably the centerpiece of the team’s defense.
There had been talk of Watt becoming the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL prior to the start of the season, but negotiations don’t appear to have resulted in anything yet. It sounds like we’ll know more on Tuesday.
