The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a turbulent offseason, mostly due to the noise surrounding a potential Aaron Rodgers signing. Last week, Rodgers finally agreed to a one-year deal with the franchise, calming the nerves of many fans.
However, according to two prominent insiders, the Steelers are back in the weeds with another star player, this time it’s homegrown talent T.J. Watt, who is arguably the face of the franchise for the modern Steelers.
“The #Steelers All-Pro edge TJ Watt, seeking a new deal, is not in attendance at mandatory minicamp, per me and (Mike Garafolo). No progress on a long-term deal,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Twitter on Tuesday.
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“All top linebackers earn $28Million (with signing bonus)….which is what TJ earns. He’s 30 yrs old,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“Not worth what he’s asking. Take a walk TJ,” one fan added.
“Are we a serious franchise?” another fan wanted to know.
“This may cause an existential crisis for any Yinzer who has used the ‘we want volunteers, not hostages’ line to talk about disgruntled players in the past,” someone else wrote.
It’ll be interesting to see how long Watt is willing to hold out.