T.J. Watt played into the drama a little as he awaited his new contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Months before Watt agreed to the three-year, $123 million deal that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, Watt cryptically posted a story to his Instagram of him in Steelers uniform holding up a peace sign. That simple post in April prompted talk of whether Watt should be traded and several theories for why Watt made the post.
While speaking to reporters Wednesday at the start of training camp, Watt admitted that he made that post to have some fun with the newsmakers regarding his ongoing negotiations with the Steelers over a new contract.
“Sometimes it’s just fun to have fun with the narratives out there because I'm very in tune with what's going on in negotations and how things are going," Watt told reporters. "It’s fun to see what you guys are all writing, thinking things are one way even though they're completely a different way. So sometimes it's fun, especially when it's early in the offseason, to throw something out there and see what happens. It stirred up things a lot more than I ever thought it could. "
T.J. Watt speaks to the media. https://t.co/pIEdoMrTeu
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) July 23, 2025
Watt also told the media Wednesday that the reason he did not attend mandatory minicamp was so that he wouldn't disrupt his training schedule by flying in just to go back home a few days later.
As for becoming the league's highest-paid non-quarterback in history, Watt acknowledges it's somewhat surreal.
"It's hard to wrap my head around it, but right now it's crazy to me," Watt said. "But more than anything I want to play football. ... There's so much more that I can give, that I want to give, and that's what's most important to me."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as T.J. Watt Finally Admits Reason Behind Cryptic Peace Sign Story Before Inking New Deal .
