Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro pass rusher TJ Watt will not attend mandatory minicamp this week while he continues to seek a new contract, reports CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Watt, 30, enters the final year of his four-year, $112 million contract. He faces fines that progressively increase with each absence, per the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement
Under the agreement, players who skip mandatory minicamp are subject to fines of $17,462 for the first day, $34,925 for the second day and $52,381 for the third day, totaling $104,768 for a three-day absence.
Watt has been a defensive cornerstone for the Pittsburgh Steelers since being selected late in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 and is a four-time first-team All-Pro selection with two second-team All-Pro honors, including last season. Watt has made seven consecutive Pro Bowls. He led the NFL in sacks three times during the 2020, 2021 and 2023 seasons, tying the single-season record of 22.5 sacks in 2021, a mark previously set by Michael Strahan in 2001 with the New York Giants.
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