NFL insider believes the Steelers' front office and T.J. Watt aren't on the best terms regarding ongoing contract negotiations
T.J. Watt knows how to create a stir. Usually, that comes from his Sundays as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he leaves opposing tackles dizzy in his wake. But last week, it came from an Instagram story post that sent the NFL world into a tizzy. And according to one NFL insider, it's not […]
T.J. Watt knows how to create a stir.
Usually, that comes from his Sundays as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he leaves opposing tackles dizzy in his wake.
But last week, it came from an Instagram story post that sent the NFL world into a tizzy.
And according to one NFL insider, it's not a great sign…
Steelers and T.J. Watt not on the best terms regarding contract talks
“Rarely is it actually nothing. Generally, when a player makes a cryptic social media post … it’s almost never nothing,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said on Good Morning Football. “T.J. Watt is in a contract negotiation situation with the Pittsburgh Steelers. … Generally, when a player makes a social media post that forces us to talk about it on TV like we’re doing right now, it is because contract negotiations are not going as well as anybody had hoped…
"…I think we can safely say the contract talks between T.J. Watt and the Steelers are not off to a rippering start. Doesn’t mean they won’t get there. They have gotten there before. He is a great player who deserves every penny. But for the sake of this argument right now in this discussion, let’s assume that T.J. Watt is not exactly the most thrilled person on earth dealing with his contract.”
The picture of Watt throwing up the dueces as he was walking off the field has fans going bonkers. Does this mean he wants to be traded? Is he going to retire? Is he going to hold out until the Steelers pay him?
No one knows the real answer other than Watt, but they are all fair questions to ask. The last time he spoke, he was adamant that he was in his prime, looking to get over the playoff hump and wanted to be with the Steelers.
"There’s definitely an aura and a sense to a guy that has won a Super Bowl. There’s a togetherness," said Watt after the loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs. "There’s a close knit group of guys that when they come back for those alumni weekends, they hang out and they bond, and they talk about their successes on and off the field and that Super Bowl run. We want that.”
So it seems that Watt just wants what he's owed, and he's willing to put some public pressure on Pittsburgh if that's what it takes to get it.
