Steelers' T.J. Watt Reportedly Won't Attend Minicamp Amid Desire for New Contract

After getting a deal done with Aaron Rodgers to provide some stability at the quarterback position, the Pittsburgh Steelers now have another contract situation on their hands involving T.J. Watt.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the 30-year-old is not attending mandatory minicamp as he seeks a new deal.

The Steelers' three-day minicamp will begin on Tuesday and run through Thursday.

Watt's absence isn't a complete surprise because he skipped voluntary OTAs. The seven-time Pro Bowler also seemed to indicate in April he wasn't happy with the Steelers after posting a cryptic image on Instagram.

This is a good time for Watt to be seeking a new deal. He's entering the final season of his four-year, $112 million contract signed in 2021 that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL at the time.

Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby reset the market for defensive players this offseason. Garrett became the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL when he signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the Cleveland Browns in March 2025.

That came days after Crosby received a three-year, $106.5 million extension from the Las Vegas Raiders.

Watt's $28.2 million average salary on his current deal now ranks ninth among all defensive players in the NFL. The Steelers have reportedly made him a "pretty significant" offer, though it's unclear how much it's worth.

The Steelers' track record would suggest a deal will get done with the Wisconsin product closer to the start of the regular season. His previous extension from four years ago was agreed to on Sept. 9, three days before they opened the campaign.

Last year, the Steelers signed both Cameron Heyward and Pat Freiermuth to new deals in the first week of September.

Any chance the Steelers have of getting back to the playoffs in 2025 depends heavily on Watt anchoring their defensive line. He is one of the most impactful pass-rushers in the NFL. He has recorded at least 11.5 sacks in six of the last seven seasons and has finished in the top four in Defensive Player of the Year voting five times during that span, winning the award in 2021.