Mike Tomlin Has 1 Word on T.J. Watt’s Future With the Steelers

Minicamp is mandatory in the NFL, but not everyone is in attendance for the Pittsburgh Steelers this week. All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt is not with Mike Tomlin and the rest of the team as he seeks a new contract.

Tomlin, though, made it very clear that he is not worried about Watt’s status with the organization going forward. When asked Tuesday whether there is concern about Watt’s future, Tomlin provided just one word.

“No,” he told reporters.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that Watt will not be at the team’s mandatory minicamp this week. The Steelers are hosting their minicamp from June 10-12.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport also reported Tuesday that Watt will not attend Pittsburgh’s minicamp.

Watt is set to enter the final season of the four-year, $112 million extension he signed with the Steelers before the 2021 season.

Steelers’ Mike Tomlin Addresses T.J. Watt’s Minicamp Absence

Each of the first three questions Tomlin received after Pittsburgh’s first day of minicamp were about Watt. For the second two questions, Tomlin was very tight-lipped, especially with his one-word response for one of them.

The head coach elaborated a little more with his first answer while addressing Watt’s minicamp absence.

“Certainly we’d like him to be here, but certainly not surprised by where we are,” Tomlin said. “We’ve expressed a desire to get the business done. He has as well.

“So, we’ll continue to work. We’ve been here before.”

Watt signed his current contract when he had one year left on his deal before 2021. That summer, Watt elected the “hold-in” strategy where he showed up to all workouts but didn’t participate.

For this negotiation, Watt is choosing to work out away from the team, at least for minicamp. There has been no indication of whether or not Watt will miss any training camp, which begins on July 24.

When asked if Watt notified him and the Steelers he wouldn’t be attending minicamp, Tomlin responded saying, “Whatever communication transpires between he and I will remain there.”

Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told the media Tuesday that the Steelers “expect him back at some point.”

“When T.J. [Watt] shows up, he’ll be ready to go,” said Austin.

Will the Steelers Fine Watt for Missing Minicamp?

There’s mixed reports in the media about how contract negotiations are going between Watt and the Steelers.

ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reported on Tuesday’s episode of Get Up that “all signs point to” the contract talks with Watt “not being as smooth” as the organization hoped.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo had a much more positive report on Tuesday’s The Insiders.

“I don’t feel that this one is contentious,” said Garafolo, via Steelers Depot’s Jeremy Pike. “If a player misses mandatory minicamp over the next couple days, you don’t have to fine a player. We’ll see what the Steelers wind up doing on this one.

“I know that they feel really good about the talks that they’ve had and the offers that they’ve made … Mike Tomlin has the belief that T.J. Watt is gonna be just fine working away from the facility, so they’re not stressing about that part of it.

“If there was a pressure point right now, and the start of training camp seems like it’s a pressure point, I feel like this thing would get done, and it will get done at some point.”

Parts of Garafolo’s update felt more like analysis than a report. But his first point was very interesting — whether the Steelers fine Watt for his minicamp absence could be a great indication of where things stand between the two sides.

The Steelers made Watt the highest-paid defensive player in the league on an average annual basis with his last deal. But to pay Watt the highest annual salary on defense again, the price tag has gone up $12 million per season.

Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett is the league’s highest paid defender with an average salary of $40 million per season.