Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt is pushing for a significant raise, but a legendary coach believes the team may take a different approach. Watt’s contract situation has become an important talking point, raising questions about how the Steelers will handle negotiations with one of their biggest stars.
In the NFL, talent gets players to the league and keeps them there, but rarely at a discount. While paying fair market value should be the norm, the negotiation process often becomes personal, fueling tension and animosity between players and teams.
Former Steelers HC Bill Cowher Believes Team Will Act Slowly in T.J. Watt Negotiations
Over the last two seasons, Watt has tallied 30.5 sacks, ten forced fumbles and 38 tackles for loss. He gave the Steelers the pass-rushing heart of their defense, consistently creating havoc in the backfield on passing downs as he forced quarterbacks to rush throws or hit the turf.
Watt made the defense better by his presence and ability alone. Iconic Steelers head coach and NFL analyst Bill Cowher appeared on the “Dan Patrick Show” to discuss the contract situation.
“This is, unfortunately, the part of it that you just have to be patient.”
– @CowherCBS on the TJ Watt contract negotiations for the #Steelers. pic.twitter.com/GaxzBbOwOz
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) July 1, 2025
“You can’t take it personally,” Cowher said. “There’s no real deadline at this point. He’s gone through this before. This is, unfortunately, the part of it that you just have to be patient. I think the one thing that Mike [Tomlin], Omar [Khan] and Art [Rooney II] have done is that they exhibited great patience. They did that with Aaron Rodgers to see where he’s at right now. I think the same approach will be taken with T.J. Watt.”
Rodgers is a veteran quarterback likely entering his final season, with no long-term ties to the franchise beyond this year. The defense, meanwhile, would suffer if forced to replace a player of Watt’s caliber. Despite being one of the best defensive players in the team’s history, Cowher advocates for the team to nickel and dime him in contract negotiations.
Imagine during Cowher’s era, when linebacker James Harrison wanted a raise commensurate with what those who played his position made. He wouldn’t have risked the defense suffering or the team’s chemistry deteriorating just to save money. That makes the current situation with Watt surprising. Despite being one of the best defensive players in franchise history, he’s set to make $21.5 million this season, which ranks only 11th among all pass rushers, according to Spotrac.
In addition, praising Khan for patience when, in effect, his inability to correctly choose a capable replacement for Ben Roethlisberger continues to hurt the team. When Rodgers retires, what’s the plan? Unless they are sold on rookie Will Howard, the team must find another signal-caller.
If any anger exists, it should reside with Watt. The seven-time Pro Bowler ranks 31st in sacks (108), 20th in forced fumbles (33) and 26th in tackles for loss (126) among all NFL players in league history before turning 31. Somehow, at least from the video, Cowher seems to be entirely on the organization’s side. Mentioning Watt’s previous holdout does not paint the organization in the best light. If the Steelers implement the patience tactic with Watt, how will this affect the franchise?
