Picture January 2022 at Heinz Field—cold, primetime vibes—when TJ Watt ambushes Baker Mayfield not once, not twice, but four times in one game. Later, instead of flexing his numbers, Watt hit pause and peeled back the curtain, “The first year or two, I used to do big individual goals: ‘X’ amount of sacks, TFLs [tackles for loss], all that stuff. But it adds too much pressure… now it’s just trying to be a game-wrecker.” That right there? That was the moment TJ stopped chasing stats and started defining games.

What followed that statement was impeccable. Because something’s shifted. Somehow, Watt became the guy offenses plan their whole week around. They chip him, double him, and throw quick just to avoid him. Didn’t matter. He still wrecked drives, broke plays, and gave quarterbacks nightmares. We’re talking about Watt going on a tear, racking up 22.5 sacks the very next season, tying the NFL record, while sticking like glue to his “affect every game” vibe.

And he’s been consistent ever since. “TJ WATT is the best defensive player on the planet. Stop trying to question it… He is the best. Period.” JJ Watt’s words still echo about his brother. And now that the 30-year-old LB is looking for a contract extension, all eyes are on him again. While some believe that the Steelers feel good with Watt’s contract talks situation, others believe that they’re going to drag it out till the regular season.

But amidst this, one thing’s clear: T.J. Watt is looking for a massive contract extension that might surpass his division rival, Myles Garrett’s latest deal with the Browns. And the Steelers’ legend Rod Woodson is right on board with that. Woodson recently appeared on Up & Adams’ Show, where Kay Adams asked, “Should TJ get a bigger deal than Myles Garrett?” Without a doubt, and after a brief pause, Woodson simply said, “Yes.”

Woodson knows a thing or two about Watt’s gameplay, given that the Steelers legend had spent 17 seasons in the NFL, primarily with Pittsburgh. And get this, Woodson made it clear that TJ is one of the best players to play at this position in the Steelers’ history. “When you have a guy like TJ Watt, you want to keep him happy because it’s not only is he a leader on the field and off the field, but you’re showing the rest of the players in the locker room how you treat your best players, and especially in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Woodson added.

Woodson believes that normally, the Steelers don’t redo another contract when players have an existing contract, but he demanded to do something a little bit differently this year from the Steelers’ front office. For TJ Watt. “He’s (Watt) one of the best players to play at that position in the history of the Steelers, of the black and gold,” Woodson went on. 

“So I think you (Steelers) do something a little bit different… I think you should really hardly think about it. And he should be one of the highest-paid players at his position, if not the highest-paid player at the position outside of the quarterback.” Following weeks of trade rumors, Myles Garrett signed a massive four-year, $160 million contract with the Browns, making him one of the highest-paid players in the league. With Watt entering the final year of his previous deal, expect him to get an even bigger deal from Mike Tomlin and Co.

After all, the head coach also wants the T.J. Watt deal to get done.

The Steelers desire to finalize a deal for T.J. Watt

The Steelers kicked off their mandatory minicamp this week, and as expected, TJ Watt’s absence from the minicamp grabbed the spotlight. Once again. The 30-year-old already skipped both the voluntary workouts this season, and now that he’s been missing in action at the minicamp as well, that means only one thing: his contract extension is definitely not going in the right direction.

With day 1 of the mandatory minicamp officially in the books, Mike Tomlin addressed Watt’s contract to the media. “Certainly, we’d like him to be here,” the head coach said when asked about Watt’s absence at the minicamp. “But certainly, (I’m) not surprised by where we are. We’ve expressed a desire to get the business done. He has as well. And so we’ll continue to work. We’ve been here before.”

Amidst all the contract negotiations, the rumor mill has been buzzing that the Steelers won’t address any contract extension before the start of the regular season. That said, Watt will certainly get a deal this year, but safe to say that we’ll have to wait until the regular season kicks off. As per PFT, “Watt’s new deal is expected to top the four-year, $160 million extension the Browns gave to edge rusher Myles Garrett.”

While it’s too early to say, the way things are shaping up, TJ Watt is likely to get a bigger deal than Myles Garrett. When? That’s what we have to find out.