Insider updates Steelers' feelings on T.J. Watt contract standoff ahead of start of training camp

Following the second weekend of July, there is no real indication that the Pittsburgh Steelers and star pass-rusher T.J. Watt are close to agreeing to a contract extension before Pittsburgh players start reporting for training camp on July 23. 

During Monday's edition of the ESPN "Get Up" program, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler offered an update regarding how the Steelers allegedly feel about the Watt situation. 

"Pittsburgh remains optimistic," Fowler said, as shared by Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. "I'm told they want to get a deal done. I know there's been the trade chatter out there. Teams I've talked to don't really expect him to be moved. But this is an issue of guaranteed money as a sticking point."

Specifically, multiple reporters and analysts have suggested Watt wants what he would consider to be a better deal than the four-year, $160M extension that included $123.5M guaranteed that Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett signed in March. That said, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted as recently as Monday that Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals and Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys are also looking to land big-money extensions. 

"What seems certain is that the average per year on Parsons' contract will have to start with a four and the guarantees will have to be well into nine figures," Breer wrote. It's unclear if Watt would accept a deal before Parsons inks his expected extension. 

"Most people I talk to around the league do expect him to be the highest-paid pass-rusher when he does get paid," Fowler added about Watt. "That doesn't seem to be an issue. It's about the other details that they haven't been able to lock in on between the team and the player."

Per Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot, team reporters Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hinted during Sunday's episode of KDKA's "#1 Cochran Sports Showdown" program that Watt may not report for training camp without an extension. Such a tactic doesn't mean Watt won't be in the lineup for Pittsburgh's Week 1 game at the New York Jets on Sept. 7, but it could show that he's frustrated about the offers his camp has received since he skipped mandatory minicamp workouts in June.