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TJ Watt skipping minicamp, reportedly seeking new contract with Pittsburgh Steelers
By Paul Harvey
Published:
TJ Watt has been one of the most fearsome defenders in the NFL since he stepped on the field out of Wisconsin. Now entering his 9th NFL season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Watt is also reportedly seeking a new contract.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watt is not in attendance on Tuesday for the first day of Pittsburgh’s mandatory minicamp in pursuit of forcing a new deal with the franchise. His absence from Day 1 will consist of a fine of north of $17,000, and subsequent absences also include fines.
Watt is entering the final year of a massive 4-year, $112 million deal that began in 2022. He is entering his age-31 season, and he likely has his eyes set on the new deal that division rival Myles Garrett just signed with the Cleveland Browns. That deal nets Garrett an average of $40 million.
Since entering the NFL in 2017, Watt has 108 career sacks, a mark that ranks 44th all-time in NFL history. His numbers did dip to 11.5 sacks last season, his lowest total in a full campaign since 7 sacks as a rookie, but Watt still led the NFL with 6 forced fumbles.
Even with the drop in overall sacks, Watt was named a 2nd-team All-Pro in 2024. He has been an All-Pro in 5 of the last 6 seasons with 4 first-team All-Pro selections in that span.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.