Ben Roethlisberger Offers T.J. Watt Update

As a franchise steeped in continuity, there’s an uneasy feeling whenever a Pittsburgh Steelers stalwart puts that status in doubt.

Ahead of the 2024 season, it was defensive tackle Cameron Heyward’s turn to test the waters. Coming off an injury-plagued season, Heyward was in search of a new deal that ensured he’d be paid handsomely to spend the twilight of his career in Western Pennsylvania. At first, the Steelers didn’t budge.

Ultimately, a deal got done, and Heyward put forth an incredible bounce-back season, logging eight sacks on the way to All-Pro honors.

A year later, edge rusher T.J. Watt is due for an extension. Cleveland Browns superstar Myles Garrett’s recent four-year, $160 million deal has raised the stakes, and Watt is holding out in hopes of approaching (if not surpassing) that number.

Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger gave an update on Watt’s contract negotiations now that he held himself out of minicamp.

"It's interesting because this is now a mandatory minicamp," Roethlisberger said. "So he can be fined. It'll be interesting to see if the Steelers decide to fine him or not because they don't have to ... Last time this happened was four years ago when T.J. was looking for a new contract. The difference is, he's holding out, which means he is not there. Last

time, he held in, which means, 'I'm going to come, I'll be here, but I'm not participating.'"

Like Heyward, Watt is coming to the table coming off an underwhelming year with some level of concerns attached to his age. Heyward, well into his 30s with two sacks in 2023, managed to come to an agreement. Watt still posted 11.5 sacks in 2024 and is only entering his age-31 season.

Watt would like to be the highest-paid defensive player in football. Pittsburgh, presumably on the hook for ~$20 million more than it anticipated entering the offseason, is understandably taking its time.

"This year, he's not there," Roethlisberger said. "You asked the question of what's the difference? I don't know, only T.J. knows the difference. My only speculation and guess is like, they must not be close. If you were close, I would think that T.J. would do what he did last time."

For now, the two seem far apart. But the Steelers are incentivized to keep Watt around, and his run defense should keep him among the best edge rushers in the sport, even if his pass-rushing decline proves to be more than a blip on the radar. Until then, the Pittsburgh faithful will continue to hold their breath, hoping that gap is addressed before his absence becomes meaningful.