Something has to give, right? While the current Pittsburgh Steelers regime frustrates me to no end, it is not like superstar edge rusher T.J. Watt is without blame either. We find ourselves in a tricky stalemate at this stage of the offseason. Watt wants more money, while Pittsburgh expects for him to take a hometown discount. All in all, the team has not won a playoff game in almost a decade, folks...
To be totally transparent, I will believe it when I see it when Watt plays for another franchise. Money talks, and everything else walks. In time, I would expect one side in so-called impending divorce to cave. Watt does benefit by playing in Pittsburgh, but where would the Steelers even be without him? At some point, we have to realize that he is not a problem, but a microcosm of a far worse situation.
Here is what CBS Sports' Aditi Kinkhabwala had to say about Watt on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday.
"Here's what the disconnect is. And this is what happened the last time around in these negotiations. T.J. Watt was openly told, 'You're fortunate to be a Steeler'. And his response was, 'You're fortunate to have me.'"
Watt may think very highly of himself, but when have the Steelers been a model franchise of late?
"The Steelers' attitude, the Steelers' mindset, and you see this from so many fans, too, is that it is such a privilege to be in this uniform, to wear this helmet, that therefore, you should take a hometown discount just because you get to play for one of these cornerstone trademark organizations."
Mike Tomlin may have been around when Watt was drafted, but Kevin Colbert called the shots back.
Pittsburgh Steelers are setting themselves up to eventually lose T.J. Watt
I understand that Tomlin won a Super Bowl before I could legally drink. Now I can run for President. I also understand that Colbert was not as good at his job as he once was. Following a legend has put too much pressure on Omar Khan to run the Steelers' front office like his predecessor. In the end, I am getting the feeling that the Steelers and Watt want different things. It is not just about the money.
Yes, the Steelers can pay him, and they probably will. However, Watt has not been conducive to winning in Pittsburgh, and neither has the so-called, iron-clad culture this franchise was built on. I remember a time when The Braves Way was great ... until it was not. The Steelers need a reboot and need to stop convincing themselves that they are only one piece away from being one piece away.
Watt is in the back-end of his prime. He has earned the right to get one more big contract. However, at every possible situation, he has used all the leverage he has to attempt to get more from Pittsburgh. As a star player with a finite shelf life, I understand the logic there. Unfortunately, a team's best player being consistently at odds with the organization creates cracks in a stable foundation.
Pittsburgh is failing to realize Watt has not had a traditional Steelers experience worthy of taking less.