Insider shares 'common sense' reason Steelers' T.J. Watt hasn't yet received desired extension

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote Wednesday that an unnamed NFL coordinator felt Pittsburgh Steelers pass-rusher T.J. Watt "wore down a little bit" during the second half of the 2024 campaign as the club endured a losing streak that ran from Week 15 through its wild-card loss to the Baltimore Ravens. 

NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk appeared on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday and suggested the Steelers haven't yet given Watt his desired contract extension due to concerns regarding how the 30-year-old finished last season.

"That's more the common sense around the league," Florio said about the Watt situation, as shared by Josh Carney of Steelers Depot. "...You never pay a guy for what he's done. If you pay guys for what they've done, you're asking for trouble. And you know, the cliche used to be that the NFL is a 'what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league.' It's not that either. It's 'what are you doing for me right now, and what do I expect you to do for me tomorrow?' That's what guys get paid on."

As Fowler noted, Watt recorded seven total tackles and zero sacks over his final four games of last season (including the playoffs). Injury setbacks limited Watt to 10 contests during the 2022 campaign, and he turns 31 in October. Thus, it's fair to wonder what the one-time Defensive Player of the Year will be by the time any team finishes paying out the guaranteed money attached to his next extension. 

Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is among those who have said Watt is looking to receive a deal he deems better than the four-year, $160M extension that included $123.5M guaranteed that Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns received in March. The Steelers reportedly "have zero intention of trading" Watt because they're "all-in" on trying to win now. Still, Florio hinted that Pittsburgh also is in no rush to hand the veteran a "lifetime achievement contract" this summer. 

Watt is in the final year of his existing deal and could threaten that he is willing to forfeit money by sitting regular-season games out if he doesn't receive an extension before Sept. 7. Then again, he could simply report for training camp on July 23 but participate only in individual drills as he did back in 2021.