The Pittsburgh Steelers solved one problem, yet they’re still in search for a solution for another. T.J. Watt is in the final year of his contract and is looking for a payday before he takes the field. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it’s not out of the question that Watt’s holdout carries into the season if there’s no resolution.
“That’s a long way away. I’m not ready to say anything like that right now,” Schefter said on ESPN radio, h/t Steelers Now. “If we get to August 8th and it’s still not resolved, well that becomes a little bit more interesting. And if it gets to September 8th, that’s a big problem.”
That could probably be the worst case scenario for the Steelers as they look to return to the playoffs in a once again, loaded AFC North division. They might have addressed their quarterback position, but as far as bringing back their veteran edge rusher, well the sides reportedly aren’t close to coming to an agreement.
This is becoming a pattern in the AFC North with Myles Garrett forcing his hand to become one of the highest paid non-quarterbacks and Trey Hendrickson threatening to holdout too in search for a new deal. Watt’s situation in Pittsburgh adds yet another ripple in a dramatic offseason for the Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers better come to a T.J. Watt solution before it’s made for them
At this point the Steelers should probably look to trade Watt if they don’t plan on signing him before training camp begins. I know teams like to go to the wire when it comes to getting deals done, but this is such a no-brainer that if they are truly hesitating in bringing Watt back, they might as well get something for him.
The market for an elite edge rusher is good enough that they shouldn’t have any issues finding a suitor. The problem becomes, whose defense do they want to bolster? The Steelers are old so I don’t blame them for hesitating on keeping that defensive line old. But they better trade him now while he has high value.
He’s a player that as the season approaches, might warrant less of a return, especially if his holdout carries into the first few weeks of the season. There’s no reason Pittsburgh should let it get that far. They know by now whether they want to keep him or not.
They’ve spent all offseason dealing with Aaron Rodgers’ antics that they’ve tabled Watt until they absolutely can’t anymore. Well, now’s the point of no return. They either need to commit to him with an extension or start making calls. Letting this holdout carry into the regular season simply isn’t an option.