It’s safe to say for now that the Steelers are kind of obsessed with Aaron Rodgers. Even though the 4-time NFL MVP has had them waiting for almost a month, the Steelers still can’t seem to look beyond Rodgers. No, not just the QB, that’s a completely different story. The Steelers seem to be so focused on draping Rodgers with black and gold that TJ Watt also doesn’t matter to them now. After the 7-time Pro Bowl edge rusher got the whole NFL talking about his cryptic post holding a peace sign, the Steelers still don’t seem to be scared of losing him. Their insider Mark Kaboly believes Rodgers, even though he ain’t a Steeler, holds more power than Watt.
Last week, when Watt’s cryptic post was still fresh in everyone’s minds. NFL insider Ian Rapoport tried to decipher the message hidden in his story. What he found out wasn’t something the Steelers would probably want to hear. “I think we can safely say the contract talks between TJ Watt and the Steelers are not off to a riveting start,” Rapoport claimed. Since then, there hasn’t been a single positive news on the Steelers front. They have somewhat taken a laid-back approach to Watt’s extension.
However, Kaboly believes the reason lies in a 41-year-old whom they are waiting to sign. On 93.7 The Fan, Kaboly claimed, “I think the hang-up is, the Steelers wanna see what Aaron Rodgers is gonna get and whatever is left, they might say, okay, T.J., this is it.” If that’s the approach the Steelers are looking to take. It might prove to be pretty disrespectful for someone who has given his all from the day he landed in Steel City.
Kaboly believes the hang up with Watt is Rodgers: “I think the hang-up is, the Steelers wanna see what Aaron Rodgers is gonna get and whatever is left, they might say, okay, T.J., this is it.” #Steelers #NFL
— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) April 14, 2025
Watt, who is slated to earn just $21M this season on his previous $112M extension, obviously wouldn’t like to play on that money. Considering the numbers he has been putting up every season, Watt remains an invaluable asset to the Steelers. 108 sacks, 462 total tackles, 126 tackles for loss and 225 QB hits. Those aren’t just regular numbers—Watt’s production year-on-year has been truly sensational. One Defensive Player of the Year, 7 Pro Bowls, 4 First-Team All-Pro—Watt’s honors speak for themselves.
Like he did with his story: no words, just a peace sign. That was enough to send the Steelers Nation into panic mode, thinking about losing their future Hall of Fame linebacker. So, seeing the Steelers prefer to give Rodgers the money first. It could send Watt a disrespectful message that could backfire on the Steelers. Considering they have already messed up this situation once, this could be the final nail in the coffin.
JJ Watt’s warning about brother TJ Watt’s contract fell on deaf ears
Like, younger brother, TJ, JJ Watt was on a league of his own when he used to play in the NFL. Winning 3 Defensive Player of the Year awards, JJ is also a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. So, having seen his brother terrorize QBs every time he hops on the gridiron. JJ was ahead of his time in sending a warning to the Steelers. “Reward your players earlier and reap the benefits in the long run. Dragging it out not only ends up costing more, it creates unnecessary tension. The longer you wait, the higher the price.” And that’s what happened between the Steelers and TJ.
They knew TJ was entering the final year of his $112M contract. Still, they waited and waited until the edge rushers market exploded. Maxx Crosby got a mammoth $35.5M contract. Wore the crown of the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB for maybe 48 hours. Until the Browns made Myles Garrett the highest-paid non-QB with a $40M per season extension. So, having witnessed his competitors land such huge contracts. Obviously, TJ would expect the same from the Steelers.
Having the numbers to back his claim, TJ now holds the leverage. Since 2019, TJ has also had more sacks (89) than Garrett (82). This would only mean he won’t be settling for anything less than $40 million per season. But are the Steelers really going to pay him that much? Well, if they don’t do it now, the number is only predicted to go up. Micah Parsons, Aidan Hutchinson, and Trey Hendrickson are all slated to be extended sooner or later. Once they land their contracts, the Steelers could have a hard time negotiating with TJ.
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