Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt is skipping this week’s mandatory minicamp as he continues to negotiate a new contract, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 30-year-old veteran is currently in the final year of a four-year deal worth $112 million.
By choosing to sit out, Watt is subject to fines laid out in the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement. The penalties increase each day, starting at $17,462 for the first day, rising to $34,925 on the second, and reaching $52,381 on the third. If Watt skips all three days, he could be fined a total of $104,768. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that no meaningful progress has been made on a long-term extension, and that talks are reportedly at a standstill.
Watt has become a dominant force on defense since joining the Steelers as a late first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021 and has been named a first-team All-Pro four times, with two second-team honors — including one last season. Watt has also been selected to the Pro Bowl every year for the past seven seasons.
Watt has also compiled impressive career stat over the course of eight seasons: 462 total tackles, 126 tackles for loss, 108 sacks, and 225 quarterback hits. In addition, his pass-rushing ability has put him in elite company, leading the league in sacks in 2020, 2021, and 2023. In 2021, he tied the NFL’s single-season sack record with 22.5, matching a mark originally set by Michael Strahan in 2001.
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