Contract issues can make or break rosters, and if a superstar feels they are being undervalued, they will often strong arm their way into a new deal before they take the field. That appears to be the case for Pittsburgh Steelers star pass rush T.J. Watt.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will not have their star player in attendance at mandatory minicamp this week, as TJ Watt plans to hold out.

That leaves the Steelers with one less excuse toward avoiding a T.J. Watt contract extension. Watt hasn't been at OTAs as he enters the final year of a four-year, $112 million deal. The price for pass rushers has gone way up since he signed that deal in 2021. Cleveland's Myles Garrett just got a record four years for $160 million.

The Steelers are stuck between a rock and hard place with TJ Watt. Watt's contract is up after next season, and it's officially time to panic for Pittsburgh.

Hendrickson holding out of minicamp doesn't raise the level of concern, because it was already pretty high. This is the Bengals we're talking about. Last year, Bengals owner Mike Brown stubbornly insisted that once training camp started it wasn't a good time to negotiate a new deal with Ja'Marr Chase,

The Pittsburgh Steelers have an uncertain contract situation brewing with superstar edge rusher TJ Watt. It’s no secret what Watt has meant to this fan base and organization since being drafted in 2017.

When will TJ Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers come to a deal on a contract extension for the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year?

The fact that Watt has never won a playoff game with the Steelers is a wild statistic. And Solak is right: If the Steelers don't figure out QB, Watt is simply less valuable. Pittsburgh needs to be a great team all-around for its pass rusher to be more than a numbers compiler.