Steelers Have Concerns About TJ Watt Extension Timeline

One of the main priorities of the Pittsburgh Steelers should be locking down linebacker TJ Watt for years to come. He's one of the best defenders in the league, but he is currently playing on the final year of his rookie deal.

It seems that there are concerns in the Steelers' front office that an extension will not be getting done anytime soon, and that's bad news for fans in Pittsburgh.

Steelers News

Steelers owner and team president Art Rooney has been adamant that he would like to get a deal done before the regular season begins. However, negotiations have been going on all summer long and the optimism that once was is suddenly draining for both parties involved.

Watt has proven that he is one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL after finishing as the runner-up for the 2020-21 Defensive Player of the Year award. The three-time Pro Bowler racked up a league-high 15.0 sacks to go along with 53 tackles, 7 pass breakups and 2 forced fumbles last season.

There are conflicting reports about whether or not Watt's absence during parts of training camp has been contract related or not. Some say he is not willing to risk any injury without security, while others point out that head coach Mike Tomlin has always been extra careful regarding his best players.

No matter what, it would be best for the Steelers & Watt to come to an agreement in the near future. It's just a waiting game at this point.

Pittsburgh has odds set at +450 to win the AFC North division this season, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Meanwhile, Watt has the third-best odds to be named Defensive Player of the Year at +750.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.