TJ Watt is heading into the final year of his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and some have wondered if the organization’s recent inability to break through in the playoffs might tempt him to look elsewhere.
Watt tried to put those fears to rest Monday, two days after the Steelers were eliminated by the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card round. The star pass rusher told reporters that he does not want to leave Pittsburgh, and intends to be “part of the solution.”
“I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. I don’t want to leave this place,” Watt said. “I want to be part of the solution, not leave here and go somewhere else. That’s not my intention at all.”
T.J. Watt, eligible for a contract extension this summer, says he doesn't want to play anywhere else: "I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. I don't want to leave this place … I want to be part of the solution, not leave here and go somewhere else. That's not my intention at all."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 13, 2025
Watt is eligible for what will likely be a hefty contract extension this offseason, as next year is the final year on the four-year, $112 deal he signed back in 2021. There have been few rumors about his status, and Watt’s camp does not seem inclined to make too big a deal about his situation. That makes it even more likely that his future lies with the Steelers, even though the organization is a bit stagnant right now.
Watt remains one of the most fearsome and consistent pass rushers in the NFL. The 30-year-old tallied 11.5 sacks on the season, which somehow manages to be a down year statistically by his lofty standards.
