Steelers star linebacker TJ Watt skips the start of mandatory minicamp

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Steelers star linebacker TJ Watt skips the start of mandatory minicamp

2025-06-11 04:12 Last Updated At：04:21

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt skipped the start of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, sending a not-so-subtle message to the only team he's ever played for about his desire to iron out a new contract before next season begins.

The four-time All-Pro and 2021 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year is about to enter the final season of the four-year extension he signed in September 2021. The $112 million pact made Watt the highest-paid defender in the league at the time.

That number has been eclipsed several times over the past four years, including by Cleveland star Myles Garrett, who signed a deal in March that made him the most well-compensated non-quarterback in the league at $40 million a season.

“Certainly we’d like him to be here, but certainly not surprised by where we are,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. “We’ve expressed the desire to get the business done, he has as well, and so we’ll continue to work. We’ve been here before.”

The decision to skip minicamp is a change from Watt's approach in 2021, when he did a “hold in” during both minicamp and training camp before agreeing to a contract on the eve of the regular season.

Tomlin said he's not concerned about Watt's long-term future in Pittsburgh and declined to comment on whether Watt gave the organization a heads-up that he would stay home in Wisconsin rather than join the other 89 players on the roster, including recently signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Watt tied an NFL record by getting 22 1/2 sacks after signing his current extension. He led the league in sacks again in 2023, though that number dipped to 11 1/2 last season, Watt's fewest in a year in which he didn't miss extended time because of injury since he was a rookie in 2017.

Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin believes Watt's absence will provide opportunities for younger players such as third-year outside linebacker Nick Herbig and rookie Jack Sawyer.

Maybe, but neither has Watt's game-changing resume. Watt, who turns 31 in October, is the linchpin of a defense that has helped keep the Steelers in contention despite heavy churn at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement in January 2022.

Rodgers will get his chance after agreeing to a one-year deal last week. The four-time NFL MVP went through individual drills but spent most of the session chatting with his new teammates and following along on a play sheet.

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Carolina Panthers believe they 'aren't the same old' team after close playoff loss to LA Rams

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — There were plenty of questions about how the Carolina Panthers would fare in the postseason.

They repeatedly missed opportunities down the stretch to wrap up the NFC South, only to back into the playoffs with a losing record on the final day of the regular season.

Las Vegas oddsmakers sure didn't believe in the Panthers. Carolina entered the week 200-1 longshots to win the Super Bowl — by far the lowest of any of the 14 teams in the postseason — and a 10 1/2-point home underdog to the Los Angeles Rams in Saturday's wild-card game, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

But the Panthers proved they were indeed playoff worthy — nearly pulling off a stunning upset.

“We just showed people that we aren’t the old Panthers,” cornerback Mike Jackson said.

They took the high-powered Rams to the brink of elimination before All-Pro quarterback Matthew Stafford pulled out a late 34-31 victory with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left, allowing Los Angeles to move on to the divisional playoffs and abruptly end Carolina's season.

After the game, there was a mixture of pride and pain in the locker room. But above all, there was optimism and hope.

“This is the new standard now. We're going to be a playoff team," defensive lineman and team captain Derrick Brown told his teammates.

“A lot of people didn’t give us a chance,” Jackson said. "I think the spread was something crazy. So, we just showed people who we are, and we got a lot to build on.”

The biggest question entering this season was whether Bryce Young was the right guy to lead the franchise.

The No. 1 pick in 2023 showed he doesn't lack heart, leading six winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime. He now has 12 in the past three seasons, more than anyone named Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes or even Stafford, who denied Young No. 13.

It wasn't always pretty this season for Young, but there's clearly something to build on.

He overcame an early interception Saturday and completed 21 of 40 passes for 264 yards, including a well-placed 7-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Coker with 2:39 left to put the Panthers ahead 31-27. He also fearlessly ran for a 16-yard TD.

“He just showed who he is, man,” Jackson said. “A lot of people talk about how little he is, how he can’t get it done, and it’s just like, he doesn’t listen to it. He is a silent killer, and I love that about him.”

The Panthers finished 8-10 overall, but took a big step — a year before most in and around the organization thought they would be competitive.

It might not have unfolded the way they wanted it to by losing four of five to close the season, but the Panthers snapped a seven-year playoff drought and dethroned four-time NFC South champion Tampa Bay to win their first division title in a decade.

“There is such a mix of emotions right now in the locker room, from guys being proud of what we accomplished and where we got, to being sick about the opportunity that was right there in front of us,” second-year coach Dave Canales said. “And that is going to sting.”

“I didn’t want it to end,” Young said. “It’s a super special group of guys in the locker room. I’m super proud of the way guys responded to adversity.”

There will be mistakes that will be questioned this week, too.

— Why did the Panthers appear to give the Rams receivers so much cushion on Stafford's winning drive?

— Why were they unable to advance the ball a single yard on their final drive with 38 seconds left and three timeouts remaining?

Despite it all, this will go down as a season of growth for a young team.

And the future appears bright.

“They’re really creating a beautiful culture here. Guys are bought in,” safety Nick Scott said. “Hopefully, they will continue to be here and good things will happen in the future.”

After the game, Canales said starting left tackle Ickey Ekwonu suffered a significant right knee injury in the first quarter that caused him to leave the game. The extent of the injury was not immediately known, but it's possible it could impact Ekwonu's availability for training camp.

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