The biggest story on the opening day of Pittsburgh Steelers mandatory mini-camp was the arrival of new starting QB Aaron Rodgers, who was all smiles after his first day wearing the black and gold.
However, the absence of TJ Watt was a close second.
There’s plenty of uncertainty regarding Watt and his current contract status. Cleveland Browns pass-rusher Myles Garrett received a contract that topped $40 million per year this offseason, and one can assume that Watt wants to be in the same ballpark.
And while some may be concerned with Watt’s absence, head coach Mike Tomlin is not. When asked if he was worried about Watt not being present, Tomlin gave a simple response.
“No,” Tomlin said.
Asked if he’s worried about TJ Watt’s future with the Steelers, Mike Tomlin said “no.”
He also said this about the Watt no-show to Day 1 of minicamp: pic.twitter.com/gXspVLbxwm
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) June 10, 2025
Tomlin added that they’d like Watt to be there, but also added it’s not a surprise considering a new contract hasn’t been inked yet.
“Certainly we’d like him to be here, but certainly not surprised about where we are,” Tomlin said. “We’ve expressed the desire to get the business done, he has as well, so we’ll continue to work. We’ve been here before.”
Watt is entering the final year of his contract and will earn roughly $21 million in his base salary.
Although Watt has been silent for most of the offseason, his brother J.J speculatively spoke on his behalf on the Pat Mcafee show a few months ago:
“I’ve long been a big believer that ownership and front offices obviously treat this like a business, but they do not like it when the players flip the script on them and treat it like a business back,” Watt said. “Taking care of your guys earlier does a few things for you, number one it gets them locked in at a lower price in the long run. I mean, you look at what prices are doing every single year, you get them locked in at a lower price.”
In my opinion, both the Steelers and Watt ultimately want to come to terms. But it remains to be seen how this whole situation will shake out.
What are your thoughts on Watt’s absence? Let us know in the comments section!
