Two-Time Super Bowl Champion Sends Honest TJ Watt Message to Steelers
Two-Time Super Bowl Champion Sends Honest TJ Watt Message to Steelers originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
After several teams inexplicably passed on him in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Wisconsin pass rusher T.J. Watt at No. 30 overall.
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And all he's proceeded to do since is be one of the best players at his position in the NFL.
That's why it's hard to imagine a time before his retirement when Watt isn't a member of the Steelers roster.
But here we are.
Watt will enter the final season of his four-year, $112.011 million deal in 2025, and extension talks have reportedly not gone well when they've happened at all.
A former player thinks that it's a travesty that an "iconic player" like Watt might not finish his career with the Steelers.
"T.J. Watt's supposed to retire a Steeler," Chris Long 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 as a Steeler because he didn't get paid what he deserved to be paid."
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Watt will turn 31 in mid-October, and it's possible Pittsburgh is leery of paying someone that age $40-plus million per season, which is what someone with Watt's numbers demands.
Since joining the league in 2017, he's averaging 15.2 sacks per season, 65 tackles with 32 for loss and 32 QB hits. All averages. Per season. Wow.
Long doesn't see Watt's age as an issue, but of course, he's not the one writing the checks in Pittsburgh.
"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."
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Related: Steelers Reportedly Extend Safety DeShon Elliott
Related: Steelers Offensive Lineman Announces Position Change
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
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