Former Super Bowl Champion Sends Message to Steelers

T.J. Watt skipped out on mandatory minicamp with the Pittsburgh Steelers last week as he looks to secure an extension, and while there's been little momentum up to this point, head coach Mike Tomlin sure seemed confident that the two sides would come to terms at some point this offseason.

Former defensive end and two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Long hopes things transpire that way, as he believes Watt belongs in Pittsburgh and noted that it would be disappointing if he didn't remain with the team.

"T.J. Watt's supposed to retire a Steeler," he said on 'The Rich Eisen Show'. "He's just one of those iconic players that, to me, and this is just a 'Joe Fan' take, that No. 90 right there in black and yellow, to me that's how he's supposed to come in and that's how he's supposed to go out. It would be a real shame if he wasn't able to go out a Steelers because he didn't get paid what he was deserved to be paid."

Watt is currently on the last year of a four-year, $112 million contract he agreed to in September 2021, which made him the highest-paid defensive player in league history at that time.

With other star edge rushers, such as Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby, netting massive paydays this offseason, Watt understandably wants to join the party. While his production tapered off a bit towards the end of the 2024 campaign, he still finished with 11.5 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles while placing fourth in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Pittsburgh may be a bit hesitant to hand a 30-year-old $40 million per season, which is what Garrett received from the Cleveland Browns, but Long thinks Watt's game will age gracefully.

"I think at this level, nowadays guys in their 30s can really rush into their mid-30s because the game's a little bit easier on the body, and people are taking care of the players," he said. "The newer CBAs don't demand as much on the body, and if you know what you're doing late in your career, you can survive that way."

Watt's an indispensable piece of the Steelers' defense and locker room, so there's little reason to believe the organization will put its foot down and refuse to eventually pay the four-time first-team All-Pro what he's worth.