TJ Watt will not accept a contract under $40,000,000 competing against Myles Garrett, claims NFL insider

Edge rusher TJ Watt has been the subject of trade speculations since he did not attend the Pittsburgh Steelers' mandatory minicamp in June. Although NFL analyst Ari Meirov has ruled out the possibility that the Steelers will trade their best defensive player, he believes Watt will demand a high salary before agreeing to any possible offer Pittsburgh may make.

The defensive end is about to enter the last year of his four-year, $112 million contract, which he signed in 2021. In an effort to force his team to engage in negotiations, he did not show up for the Steelers' minicamp last month.

On Wednesday's episode of "NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov," Meirov said (Timestamp: 11:54):

"There's no way the Steelers are going to trade TJ Watt, especially considering everything they've done this offseason with this all-in mentality from Aaron Rodgers and DK and Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith and Darius Slay."

"He's not going to sign a contract that doesn't start with a four. It's going to be $40 million per year," Meirov added. "I guess it's a friendly competition with Myles Garrett.

"There was a game in November 2024 where the Browns beat the Steelers and after the game, Garrett sent a message to Watt and said, 'I have a lot of respect for him, but I'm No. 1.' I'm sure Watt heard that, and he's like, 'Yeah, you may be No. 1, but I'm going to be No. 1 when it comes to the edge rush rankings when it comes to getting paid.'"

Watt appears to be on the verge of a record-breaking salary, assuming the Steelers are prepared to pay the big market rate for top edge pass rushers. Watt, who has led the Steelers defense for the past few years, is expected to negotiate a new contract that may make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league.

Why it does not make sense for the Steelers to trade TJ Watt

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, some clubs have begun contacting the Pittsburgh Steelers to inquire about the possibility of trading TJ Watt after the team dealt Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins on Monday. The team's most logical course of action is to ignore any trade offers at this time.

The Steelers have shown their desire to win a Super Bowl with their offseason moves. But they should now prioritize signing Watt to an extension as their final move.

It would seem that the Steelers have made two steps forward and one step backward in their attempt to become a Super Bowl-caliber team if Watt leaves Steel City this year.

The Steelers may determine in the future that Watt is better off traded, but that time is not now.