Steelers great Antonio Brown mocks T.J. Watt for holding out over contract dispute

T.J. Watt has been locked into contract negotiations during the 2025 NFL offseason as he seeks an extension from the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is reportedly seeking to become the highest-paid defender in NFL history, but the franchise has yet to give him what he has been allegedly asking for.

The superstar edge rusher and former Defensive Player of the Year recently made a bold statement by deciding to hold out of mandatory minicamps amid the ongoing negotiations. This suggests that he may not participate in training camps either, unless an agreement is reached before they begin this month.

Former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown recently commented on the situation in a post from his personal X account. He mocked Watt for his decision to hold out and did so in his notoriously controversial style.

Brown stated:

AB

@AB84

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First white player to hold out on the Steelers #CrackerOfTheDay

Antonio Brown pointed out that T.J. Watt joined a list of six other notable players to hold out for a new contract in Steelers history. According to Behind the Steel Curtain, Watt joins Rod Woodson, Mike Merriweather, Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Le'Veon Bell, and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

The most notable of this group is Bell, who actually sat out an entire season when he didn't get the contract he was looking for. He then never played another game for the Steelers, instead joining the New York Jets the following year. The franchise is likely hoping to avoid any type of similar situation with Watt, who has been one of the most dominant pass rushers in the NFL during his career.

T.J. Watt rumored to be seeking highest-paid NFL defender status

T.J. Watt contract negotiations

Many reports have indicated that T.J. Watt desires to be the highest-paid defender in NFL history. Myles Garrett currently holds this honor after signing a massive contract extension with the Cleveland Browns worth $40 million in AAV.

The issue with Watt's contract negotiations is that it may not be as simple as just surpassing Garrett. Micah Parsons is reportedly seeking the same title in his own contract negotiations with the Dallas Cowboys this year.

Watt and Parsons are rumored to potentially be waiting for the other one to sign a deal first, so that they can then exceed their salary. The trio of elite edge defenders are all seemingly worthy of being the highest-paid defender in NFL history, so it's realistically possible that whichever one gets an extension last will be the one that owns the title.