From signing Aaron Rodgers to trading for Jalen Ramsey, the Pittsburgh Steelers have done just about everything for their ‘all-in’ attempt at the 2025 playoffs. The only problem is that they forgot to sign their star pass rusher, T.J. Watt.
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The rather chaotic past few months meant that Watt’s negotiations with the Pittsburgh front office routinely took the backseat in favor of more pressing issues such as the free agency period and the NFL Draft. The bill has now come due for the Steelers, and Watt has all the leverage.
Talks have begun to stall, and trade rumors are beginning to percolate. But the team’s veteran defensive tackle, Cameron Heyward, doesn’t want to hear it.
When confronted about the possibility of Watt being traded before the beginning of the season, the Steelers’ captain had little patience to even think about the scenario. “I’m going right up to Omar [Khan] and I’m telling him that’s not happening,” said Heyward on The Rich Eisen Show.
“I don’t think it helps our team to trade a guy like that… I’m going to put my hat in the ring and say this cannot happen,” he added.
While Heyward clarified that he rarely, if ever, discusses contracts with Watt, he still voiced his support for his teammate. “Man, that’s my brother. I want that dude to get paid what he deserves,” he said.
By stating that Watt is feared by others on the field and respected by his teammates in the locker room, Heyward was suggesting that losing him would be detrimental to the team’s cause. Viewing things from both a sentimental standpoint and as a professional, he still saw no value in ending Watt’s tenure with the Steelers.
“Offensive players have to circle #90 week in and week out. There’s a level of respect there. I’ve had the best time playing with him, and I hope this year isn’t our last time playing together, because that’s my running mate. We’ve created a lot of havoc together,” said Heyward.
Unfortunately, with training camp less than a week away, tensions are likely to continue rising. Watt already refused to attend the team’s mandatory minicamps, suggesting that he’ll have no problem holding out further.
Sooner or later, there will come a point in time when not having him at the facility will start to dent the franchise’s potential in 2025. A lack of participation in minicamps, OTAs, etc. has a direct correlation to mid-season injuries.
Imagine the scenario of Watt incurring an untimely hamstring issue or finding himself ill-prepared by the time the Steelers reach Week 10 of the regular season. Then their hopes of finding their first playoff win since 2016 could get severely hampered.
The final seven weeks of the Steelers’ regular season schedule include a series of dates with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Buffalo Bills, the Detroit Lions, and two matchups against the Baltimore Ravens. All of these teams were in stellar form in the league last year.
Simply put, for the sake of everyone involved, Watt’s agents and Pittsburgh executives better resolve things sooner rather than later. Otherwise, they may risk dealing with the wrath of Heyward himself.
