You ever wake up, check your phone, and suddenly everyone’s getting rich but you? That’s what this offseason feels like if you’re a pass rusher. Myles Garrett’s sitting on $160M. Maxx Crosby just cashed in for $106M. And now Micah Parsons? The guy’s not even paid yet but is already sniffing “highest-paid non-QB” territory. The market’s wild. Which brings us to the million-dollar question: Where’s TJ Watt in all this chaos?
Standing at a towering height of 6’4” and weighing over 250 pounds, TJ Watt has been a cornerstone of the Steelers‘ defense for the past eight years. That said, the 30-year-old outside LB is now entering the final year of his contract. So yeah, HC Mike Tomlin, and GM Omar Khan are being asked the same question: what that might mean (pass rushers getting big contracts) for Watt, who’s heading into the final year of his contract?
Pittsburgh wants to extend his contract at some point, no doubt. The reason? Well, T.J. desires to remain in Pittsburgh. And that’s where Omar Khan comes in. “I’ll just say that I’m very hopeful that T.J. will finish his career as a Steeler,” the GM said. See, Watt’s numbers have dipped significantly in the last season. We’re talking a dip from 19.0 sacks in the 2023 season to 11.5 sacks in the last season.
So yeah, there have been some speculations that at 30, the veteran LB’s performance is slipping. But let’s not kid ourselves. If we look at his eight-year-long career in Pittsburgh, the guy recorded double-digit sacks six times in his career. And he wasn’t just good at sacking the quarterbacks. Nope. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), T.J. was the best in the league when it comes to stopping the run in the last season.
No wonder Mike Tomlin believes that T.J. is a significant player. “I’m not worried about T.J.’s production,” Tomlin said. “T.J. is a significant player. Ask anybody that is on our team, or anybody that he competes against.” That’s something worth noting. See it this way: despite suffering a non-contact injury in the last season, T.J. had a standout season.
By the time 2024 regular season wrapped up, the guy recorded 61 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and led the league with six forced fumbles. Sure, his performance is overlooked by some, but Tomlin? Nope. According to the HC, TJ Watt is the best defensive player. And we aren’t making such points. “Let’s be honest. T.J. is the best defensive player on the planet right now. And he proves that week in and week out with the plays that he delivers us,” Tomlin noted back in 2023.
All in all, the Steelers might not have extended Watt’s contract right about now, but it’s safe to say that a big contract extension is coming anytime soon. After all, TJ Watt wants to retire a Steeler and the longer the Steelers wait to extend his contract, the more expensive he’s going to get. Meanwhile, the GM is now pretty confident about the team’s roster as the NFL draft is approaching.
Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan had done enough in the free agency
Every season, there’s the same story for the Steelers. Playoff struggles have been haunting them like a bad sequel—same story, different year. So this off-season? They hit the gas. The veterans are in the town. DK Metcalf in black and gold? That’s real. Darius Slay joining the party of defense? Say less. And oh, they also brought back the former third-round pick, Mason Rudolph, and the list goes on and on.
One of the many reasons why Omar Khan is satisfied with the roster and feels that the Steelers don’t have any particular need that they’ve to hit in the draft. “Our goal is always to put ourselves in a position where we don’t have to take a guy at a specific position,” Khan said in a video made by the Steelers. “And I feel like we’ve added some key pieces to what we’re trying to accomplish. And this draft is, there’s some really good players in this draft that can help us at various positions.”
“And we’ve been working hard at trying to make sure we set our board right, and there’s more work to come. This is the next three or four weeks are going to be really important, but we’re right in the middle of it and feel good about it.” But what about their QB issues? Let’s be real—at this point, a starting quarterback is the biggest issue the Steelers are facing.
And the way things are shaping and looking at the confidence of Omar Khan for the NFL draft, it’s safe to say that Pittsburgh is more likely to address their QB issues by signing Aaron Rodgers rather than drafting a rookie later in this month. Sure, they are probably looking to add depth to their O-line or D-line. But one thing’s for sure: there’s not any particular position that they need to fill in the draft—at least, that’s what the general manager believes.
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