Report: T.J. Watt skipping Pittsburgh Steelers mandatory minicamp over contract dispute

Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher TJ Watt will not be attending mandatory minicamp this week, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Watt will skip the final tune-up before training camp as he seeks a new contract.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, there has been “no progress” on a long-term deal. Watt is one of several pass rushers looking to get paid this offseason. Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby signed lucrative contract extensions, but Watt, Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson remain without a long-term contract. The latter, who plays for the Steelers’ AFC North rival the Cincinnati Bengals, is also holding out of mandatory minicamp.

By skipping mandatory minicamp, Watt is subject to a $17,462 fine on Day 1, $34,925 on Day 2 and $52,381 on Day 3. That’s $104,768 in fines. Watt, 30, is entering the final year of the four-year, $112 million deal he signed in 2021. He held in at training camp before signing his deal three days before the start of the season.

Now, Watt wants another long-term deal as he continues playing into his 30s. Watt has led the NFL in sacks in three of the past five seasons. He tallied 22.5 sacks in 2021, tying Michael Strahan‘s record for most sacks in a single season. Watt has 108 sacks in eight seasons, fourth all-time among active players. He’s a four-time First-Team All-Pro selection and the 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year.

ESPN‘s Brooke Pryor provided the following update while speaking on Tuesday’s Get Up: “If you remember, a couple months ago, he posted on Instagram a picture of him holding up a peace sign in a Steelers uniform that really got a lot of fans nervous. I was told, at that point, he had not had contact with the organization to personally express his frustration with the contract situation. All signs point to this not being as smooth as the Steelers had once hoped.”

Steelers, TJ Watt still negotiating contract extension

Despite Watt wreaking havoc off the edge, the Steelers have failed to win a playoff game throughout his tenure. This past season was a 28-14 drubbing by the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Round. Watt aired out his frustrations after the game.

“It’s tough. Sit here same time as last year, same time have been in this scrum,” Watt said. “Same questions, and I had the same answers. Obviously, I’m very frustrated with how things ended. That’s not just with the last game, that’s with the last month of football. It’s a collection of things and it starts with myself. I need to play better. We need to play better.

“There’s not one thing that needs to be fixed here. There’s a lot of things. But it starts internally with myself. Need to play better in bigger moments. It’ll be a long offseason to have to sit with that.”