The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ offseason has been a wild ride, hasn’t it? After years of a revolving door at the quarterback position, they finally signed Aaron Rodgers, the four-time MVP and future first ballot hall of famer. He arrived at mandatory minicamp ready to begin what could be his final major chapter. Last season with the Jets, Rodgers amassed 3,897 passing yards and 28 touchdowns-decent numbers-but his 5-11 record was the worst he’d posted since his rookie season in 2008 with Green Bay (6-10). New York gave him a slightly better offensive line and some talented playmakers, but he’s now trading that in for Mike Tomlin’s winning magic and a stellar defense thanks to TJ Watt. Except Watt isn’t here. He’s sitting out minicamp while he chases a new contract, which has every Steelers fan on their knees and has all teams keeping an eye on him.
Watt’s Contract Holdout: Déjà Vu All Over Again
T.J. Watt, the superstar edge rusher, is in the final year of his contract and wants a new one badly enough to skip minicamp and shrug off the $104,768 in fines he’ll incur for missing all three days. Sound familiar? It should. Back in 2021, Watt did something similar, “holding out” during training camp until the Steelers gave him a four-year, $112 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid defender in the league at the time.
Now, with Myles Garrett’s $40 million-a-year deal in Cleveland setting the bar, Watt is probably aiming to top it. And why not? After signing his last contract, he dominated-registering 22.5 sacks to tie the single-season record, forcing five fumbles, and winning the Defensive Player of the Year award. Without him, Pittsburgh’s defense and team looks much less formidable. However, he signed before Week 1 in 2021, and with the opener against Rodgers’s old squad, the Jets, on the horizon, I’d bet he’ll be back in black and gold soon.
Steelers’ Win-Now Mentality: Rodgers Raises the Stakes
Now, let’s talk about the bigger picture. Rodgers’s appearance signals one thing: the Steelers are going all out this year. They’ve trade for DK Metcalf as their wide receiver 1, Pat Freiermuth as their tight end, and Jaylen Warren as their running back with rookie Kaleb Johnson as backup. It’s a decent crew, except for the offensive line. Rodgers isn’t the scrambler he once was. If Pittsburgh can’t protect him, it’s going to be a rough ride.
Still, with Watt, if back, leading a stacked defense that includes Cameron Heyward, Alex Highsmith, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and new addition in Super Bowl champion Darius Slay, Tomlin has a shot at his 19th consecutive winning season. That would tie Bill Belichick’s record from 2001 to 2019 and put Tomlin just behind Tom Landry’s record of 21 wins with the Cowboys from 1965 to 1985.
But here’s the kicker: no playoff wins since 2016, something new for the team with the most Super Bowl wins. Rodgers could change that, but if Watt isn’t focused and the offensive line doesn’t gel, we might see rookie Will Howard step up sooner than planned. Pittsburgh has put all its eggs in one basket-let’s see if they cash in.
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