Could Steelers' T.J. Watt hold out during training camp amid contract standoff?

Back in the summer of 2021, Pittsburgh Steelers star pass-rusher T.J. Watt completed a "hold-in" and participated in individual drills during training camp until he received his desired contract extension ahead of the start of that regular season. 

Watt once again is looking for a pay raise this summer. During a Monday appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan, Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor of ESPN suggested that Watt may not be seen when players report for camp on Wednesday, July 23. 

"I think if he does attend things, if he does attend things in Latrobe, I wouldn't expect to see him out there during team periods. I would think it would be more of a hold in," Pryor said about Watt, as shared by Joe Clark of Steelers Depot. "I don't think he would practice without a contract, but I think it also kind of depends on how negotiations are going. If they're still as contentious as they appeared to be at minicamp, it wouldn't shock me if he's not there on day one." 

Multiple reporters have suggested that Watt requesting a trade and the Steelers speaking with teams about the 30-year-old's availability is not "off the table" after he skipped the club's mandatory minicamp. That said, Steelers insider Mike DeFabo of The Athletic noted in a piece published on Tuesday that he believes the two sides will agree to an extension before Week 1 of the upcoming season arrives. 

"Even though some have speculated that Watt could be traded, that feels unlikely," DeFabo added. "The Steelers have stated publicly on numerous occasions that they’d like the star outside linebacker to finish his career in Pittsburgh, and Watt has said he doesn’t want to play for anyone other than coach Mike Tomlin."

That's all well and good, but it remains to be seen if Pittsburgh will offer Watt a contract that's similar to or better than the four-year, $160 million extension that included $123.5 million guaranteed that Myles Garrett received from the Cleveland Browns in March. Additionally, Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys and Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals are also seeking extensions that could reset the market before the Steelers lock Watt down. 

As of the second Tuesday of July, it seems the Watt-Steelers situation could get at least a little ugly if he doesn't have a deal in hand when his teammates start reporting for training camp later this month.