Major TJ Watt Tantrum Inbound as LB Hits Mike Tomlin With $40M+ Demand – Steelers Report

While everyone was busy talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers needing a new quarterback, TJ Watt stirred up something totally different behind the scenes. In the locker room – or maybe just in his own way, he threw some serious heat at the organization. The All-Pro linebacker posted a photo on social media, flashing two fingers, saying nothing at all. But that silence? It was loud. Fans went wild trying to decode it, wondering what it meant for his future in Pittsburgh. The post has since been deleted… but the storm has started. Yeah, that’s still very much alive.

We all know that the market has changed, especially after Myles Garrett’s $160 million contract for four years. TJ Watt, who made 40 solo tackles, 21 assists, 11.5 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries in 17 games last year, is entering the final year of his contract. So, obviously, the man wants his team to connect. But as we see no noise in the staff office, it seems Watt is frustrated about that. And in that frustration, he can eventually lead to some potential tantrums this offseason.

According to Mike Florio on ProFootballTalk, TJ Watt is being ignored by the Steelers. He speculated, “The market has changed. The cap has changed. This might be something that’s gonna linger for a while. I wouldn’t expect him to be at off-season workouts. Maybe he skips the mandatory mini-camp. I think it may be a repeat of the year when he got this contract.”

Last time, in 2021, TJ Watt didn’t sign his deal until September. As per analysts, he was tired due to delays and back-and-forth from his team. Hence, he decided to finally end the contract talks by signing a 4-year, $112,011,000 deal. Now the same thing is going to happen as per Florio. In addition, the analyst further highlighted that this frustration isn’t only limited to money. It might be because of them bringing in DK Metcalf, paying him $33 million a year, and also due to ongoing quarterback issues.

Florio thinks, TJ Watt’s current thoughts might be – “You bring in D.K. Metcalf, you pay him $33 million a year, and I gotta pull teeth to get a fair adjustment to my contract, and I’m the guy that’s been here for eight seasons now, and what the hell are we doing at quarterback?” So, there could be multiple opinions on why Watt posted that picture, indicating his ongoing tensions with the franchise.

TJ Watt wants to be the paid-est of them all?

Last year, TJ Watt received a nod for his seventh Pro Bowl. Now this shows he is a great player, who just wants respect. But that respect could come with a huge bill this time for the Steelers. They waited for a long time on Watt’s contract, and now, as the market has changed with Myles Garrett’s monster deal, the Steelers might be in a tough spot.

According to the reports, TJ Watt isn’t interested in leaving the team. Instead, all he wants is more than $40 million a year (which is currently the highest earned by Garrett). As Chris Simms also pointed out the same thing on the NBC podcast, TJ Watt “wants a new contract. He wants a new contract not only because he doesn’t want to play in a one-year deal type of scenario, but he wants a contract because he’s gonna go, I’m better than Maxx Crosby. I’m better than Myles Garrett.”

But what is interesting here is: as per reporter Mark Kaboly, the Steelers haven’t begun any conversation with TJ Watt yet. Yes, the two reportedly haven’t started any talks regarding the contract. Perhaps that’s the reason why the linebacker is frustrated!