Massive contract extensions are dropping every day in the NFL this offseason. And these aren’t just for the quarterbacks anymore. But those deals are sour grapes for veterans still watching from the other side of the fence. So what do they do? The holdouts begin, and everybody pays attention. That’s exactly the story of Steelers linebacker TJ Watt. But while silence and absence are the story of the day for him, JJ Watt has something to say on the matter.
TJ Watt’s coming off a not-so-hot season. This is the same guy who once recorded the highest sacks in a single season. But last year wasn’t great. Now, he’s waiting for a contract extension after the last four-year deal he got in 2021. And with the entire Steelers locker room filled with uncertainty and chaos (no designated QB1, and a major WR gone for growth in greener pastures), fans have begun wondering why Watt’s not getting an extension. TJ Watt has also skipped appearing in the OTAs, and insiders believe the whole situation is a big red flag. Sure, these are voluntary workouts, but if he’s still a no-show for the mandatory minicamp, the red flag’s only going to flash and sway faster than ever. But before the fretting and contemplation begins, big bro JJ Watt has a message for the front offices.
On Wednesday’s Pat McAfee Show, JJ Watt showed up with a mission. Calling out the front offices, he got to the crux with, “I’ve 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 then doubles down and explains the reasons why it’s important to look out for your players. “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. – Number two, you’re keeping them happy. – If you take care of things early, especially when players want to take care of things earlier, and say that they’ll take less money to take care of things earlier because it sets themselves up long-term financially, do that.”
“Ownership and front offices obviously treat this like a business but they don’t like it when the players treat it like a business..
If you can take care of your guys earlier you should do that” ~ @JJWatt #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/pNRqMauTWu
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 28, 2025
The deals are only going to get bigger every year, and if you have a guy who can play well, seal the deal. “Do that.” That’s the clear message JJ Watt gives to the franchises. TJ Watt’s not showing up at the OTAs was the first warning sign. If the holdout continues, the Steelers might just have to say goodbye to another explosive player. As they are on the lookout for a WR after parting ways with George Pickens, one has to wonder if they want to broaden that search to include an LB as well. But while TJ Watt’s future remains uncertain, that’s not all from JJ Watts. Big bro Watts is also not a fan of how the Bengals are dealing with their DE Trey Hendrickson.
JJ Watt speaks up on Trey Hendrickson’s troubles
On the Pat McAfee Show, JJ Watt didn’t just show up for his younger brother. He’s had enough of franchises sidestepping the needs of their key players, and he’s speaking up about it. Talking about the same delay in front offices making up their minds, Watt said, “You kick the can down the road, the can gets a whole lot bigger. And then the player says, ‘well, the can’s a lot bigger now, fill it up.’ And you don’t want to fill it up because you say, ‘well, we have to pay all these other guys, we have to take care of these other things.’ It’s like, ‘well, I wanted to fill the can way back down here when it was a little soup can. Now we got ourselves a garbage pail.’ From soup cans to garbage pails, the longer you wait, the bigger payout you’ll have to give.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals Oct 6, 2024 Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson 91 stands on the sidelines during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium. Cincinnati Paycor Stadium Ohio USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKatiexStratmanx 20241006_krs_gt1_030
And that brings us to Trey Hendrickson. The guy wanted a deal last year; he didn’t get one. He tried again this year, but with no communication from the front office, he decided to be a no-show for the minicamps and now the OTAs. And that’s not sitting well with JJ Watt. He said, “And we’ve seen Trey say it publicly. The team says that they’re going to talk to you early in the year. ‘We’re going to get this thing done… let us get through this season and then we’ll make sure we take care of it early.’ And then you come early in the offseason and you say, ‘hey, let’s take care of this. We said we were going to do this early.’ – All of a sudden it’s silence or it’s, ‘hey, we have to get through the combine. Hey, we have to get through free agency.’”
So, where does that bring us? JJ Watt continues, “It’s like, ‘whoa, whoa, whoa. We talked about last year. You said if we kick the can down the road, we were going to take care of it. We’re not taking care of it.’” Both the Steelers and Bengals face tough decisions ahead of them. And the longer they wait, the worse it’ll be for the whole team’s future. Do you think T.J. Watt and Trey Hendrickson will get good deals from their franchises?
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