T.J. Watt has been the heart of the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2017. With an impressive seven Pro Bowl selections and a Defensive Player of the Year award, Watt has carved out a special place in the franchise’s defense. But now, he’s entering the final year of his contract, with a base salary of $21.05 million. And it goes without saying — that figure is nearly half of what edge rushers are earning in today’s market.

According to reports, tensions are rising between Watt and the Steelers. But is the contract the only issue? According to Mike Florio on NBC, “There’s another twist to this, and it’s not about money, because he did the deuces, and for a guy that isn’t going to just throw up deuces lightly like Tyreek Hill… It’s not something T.J. Watt is going to do lightly or regularly.” So, what else could be fueling his frustration?

Florio speculated he could be frustrated with the Steelers bringing in DK Metcalf and pursuing Aaron Rodgers. The analyst expressed, “He’s never won a playoff game. I mean, there’s a chance that T.J. Watt really is – ‘I’m done.’ Look at all the factors. ‘I want out. I want out. You bring in DK Metcalf, you pay him $33 million a year. And I got to pull teeth to get a fair adjustment to my contract. I’m the guy that’s been here for eight seasons now. And what the hell are we doing at quarterback’ like you may get to the point where the offense has been crap.” Yeah, he might be frustrated.

Florio highlighted that Najee Harris called it out on his way out: “No direction. No leadership.” So, there has been no clue what they’re doing. Hence, Watt might be seeing the same thing. And, of course, Myles Garrett pulled this same move. Even Maxx Crosby threw some pressure, voiced concern, and boom – big payday. That’s the reason Florio thinks T.J. might be playing that same card. And honestly, we can’t blame him.

T.J. Watt has been the best player in Pittsburgh for years. He’s the franchise leader. The one doing everything right, having 108 career sacks (first in the franchise’s history). Yet, somehow, he’s making half of what Garrett is. So yeah, Watt must have been looking around thinking, “What the hell is going on?” Hence, Florio and Chris Simms believe Watt should’ve been taken care of by the Steelers. If the Steel City knows what’s good for them, they’ll stop dragging this out and pay the man. Because if they don’t? He might be done waiting, and this attitude has already begun.

T.J. Watt drops hints—time to move past the green room?

T.J. Watt doesn’t talk much — that’s just not who he is. He shows up, does the work, and lets his play speak. No drama, no noise. So when he dropped a photo on Instagram flashing the peace sign — with no caption and no words — fans and analysts took notice. At first, people brushed it off, thinking maybe it meant nothing. Just a moment, a mood, or maybe his favorite picture. But behind the scenes? There was more to it.

Steelers insider Mark Kaboly weighed in, saying his gut tells him the post was a quiet message — that contract talks with the Steelers aren’t going as smoothly as everyone expected. Even Ian Rapoport chimed in, saying that while it might seem silly, he also thinks it’s about the money.

Watt has one year left on his deal, with $21 million due next season. But come on — he’s not walking away. Everyone expects a new deal. A big one. Still, that post? It might’ve been his way of saying, “Hey, I’ve earned more than this. Respect me.” After all, respect seems to be the hottest topic of this NFL offseason.