ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote Wednesday that an unnamed NFL coordinator felt Pittsburgh Steelers pass-rusher T.J. Watt “wore down just a little bit” throughout the second half of the 2024 marketing campaign because the membership endured a dropping streak that ran from Week 15 by way of its wild-card loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
NFL insider Mike Florio of Professional Soccer Discuss appeared on Pittsburgh sports activities radio station 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday and urged the Steelers have not but given Watt his desired contract extension as a result of issues concerning how the 30-year-old completed final season.
“That is extra the widespread sense across the league,” Florio mentioned in regards to the Watt state of affairs, as shared by Josh Carney of Steelers Depot. “…You by no means pay a man for what he is finished. For those who pay guys for what they’ve finished, you are asking for bother. And you recognize, the cliche was that the NFL is a ‘what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league.’ It isn’t that both. It is ‘what are you doing for me proper now, and what do I count on you to do for me tomorrow?’ That is what guys receives a commission on.”
As Fowler famous, Watt recorded seven whole tackles and nil sacks over his remaining 4 video games of final season (together with the playoffs). Damage setbacks restricted Watt to 10 contests throughout the 2022 marketing campaign, and he turns 31 in October. Thus, it is honest to surprise what the one-time Defensive Participant of the 12 months shall be by the point any staff finishes paying out the assured cash hooked up to his subsequent extension.
Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Assessment is amongst those that have mentioned Watt is seeking to obtain a deal he deems higher than the four-year, $160M extension that included $123.5M assured that Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns acquired in March. The Steelers reportedly “have zero intention of buying and selling” Watt as a result of they’re “all-in” on making an attempt to win now. Nonetheless, Florio hinted that Pittsburgh is also in no rush handy the veteran a “lifetime achievement contract” this summer season.
Watt is within the remaining 12 months
of his present deal and will threaten that he’s keen to forfeit cash by sitting regular-season video games out if he would not obtain an extension earlier than Sept. 7. Then once more, he might merely report for coaching camp on July 23 however take part solely in particular person drills as he did again in 2021.
