“You can’t take it personally" - Steelers legend sends clear message to T.J. Watt citing Aaron Rodgers' case amid All-Pro LB's contract holdout

T.J. Watt is in the market for a new contract this offseason from the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, as of this time, he has yet to agree to terms with the Steelers organization and has made clear that he is willing to hold out until his contract demands are met by the iconic Pittsburgh franchise.

Although Watt is one of the best players at his position and his statistics over the past few years show that he deserves a major pay raise, former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher recently outlined how Watt cannot take this situation personally and must be patient throughout the process.

The comments were made on 'The Dan Patrick Show' on July 1, with the quotes being uploaded and transcribed by NFL analyst Chris Ward of 'Steelers Now'. The article in full can be found using the following link.

"You can’t take it personally, it’s that time of year... There’s no real deadline at this point. He’s gone through this before. We saw him almost hold up right til the first game and still have a stellar year… This is, unfortunately, the part of it that you just have to be patient."

Cowher then continued by highlighting how the Steelers coaching staff and front office have handled numerous contract situations well this offseason, something he thinks will be the same with Watt.

"And I think the one thing that Mike Tomlin and Omar [Khan] and Art [Rooney II] have done, they’ve exhibited great patience. They did that with Aaron Rodgers to see where he’s at right now. I think the same approach is gonna be taken with T.J. Watt." Cowher said.

Will T.J. Watt become the highest paid defensive player in the NFL?

There is a belief that Watt is looking to reset the defensive market after Cleveland Browns Myles Garrett did so earlier this offseason. Garrett is currently earning $40 million per season from the Browns, something that Watt may be looking to surpass in his next deal.

According to 'Spotrac', Watt's current market value is a four year deal worth $146,551,588 ($36.6 million per season). Should he receive this contract, Watt will not overtake Garrett as the highest paid defensive player in the league in average annual value.