Ben Roethlisberger sends strong message to Steelers on TJ Watt

Ben Roethlisberger didn’t mince words regarding the stall in extension talks between T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the cloud hanging over their preparation for Week 1, Roethlisberger sent a strong message to the Steelers.

Ben Roethlisberger sending a pretty clear message to the Steelers front office: give TJ Watt everything he wants and give it to him now. pic.twitter.com/IJAtU49CPb

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 8, 2021

“I think T.J. should get whatever the heck he wants,” said Roethlisberger. “He’s arguably the best football player in the game right now. Not just on defense, but in general.

“I’ve been through negotiations here with contracts. One of the reasons I took less money was for guys like him to get paid. He deserves every penny that he wants and asks for. T.J. Watt is that guy that should get whatever he wants.”

Entering what could be his final season, Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t want to let any opportunities slip through his fingertips.

Watt continues to hold-in with season looming

T.J. Watt has shown no signs of an end to his hold-out. The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker carried on his preseason camp routine on Monday at the team’s practice. During training camp, he participated in meetings and conditioning but did not participate in drills, spending team periods conditioning on the sideline.

That was the case Monday, even with the Steelers season opener quickly approaching. Pittsburgh kicks off the season Sunday at 1 p.m. on the road at Buffalo.

A first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Watt is entering the option year of his rookie contract. If he does not work out a deal, he will hit free agency or get franchise tagged in March.

“We’d like to get T.J.’s deal done, if we can, before the start of the season,” Steelers owner Art Rooney said near the start of training camp. “That’s the goal.

“I don’t like to get into those details in terms of the discussions, but we’re going to try to get it done by the start of the season if we can. I try not to get optimistic or pessimistic. I’ve seen these things go so many different ways over the years.”

Last week, Pittsburgh released its unofficial depth chart for Week 1. Moreover, Watt was listed as the Steelers starting left linebacker. He is expected to be the defensive play-caller, too.

On3’s Pete Nakos contributed to this article.