Pittsburgh Steelers: T.J. Watt's Instagram Post Has Pundits Reading Between Lines
With T.J. Watt entering the final year of his contract, the market for edge rushers has skyrocketed this offseason.
Both Myles Garrett (four years, $160 million) of the Cleveland Browns and Maxx Crosby (three years, $106.5 million) of the Las Vegas Raiders have signed lucrative new deals.
Watt has said that he wants to retire in Pittsburgh, but he posted a photo of himself on Instagram last week flashing the "peace out" sign.
Some pundits immediately speculated that Watt may not be happy with the progress of contract negotiations in Pittsburgh.
"Probably more likely [it's] one of those cryptic social media tweets where he's having negotiations with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a long-term contract extension, [and] talks have not yet resulted in a deal," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said on "The Insiders."
"Myles Garrett got $40 million per year. You know that if you're T.J. Watt, you have the credentials of Myles Garrett, that's where you're aiming at. If you're not there, if things haven't progressed like you wanted, this is a good way, this is a good way of keeping the peace, not doing anything out of order, but calling attention to things are not exactly as I would like."
Since Watt and Garrett both entered the NFL in 2017, Watt has more sacks (108-102), forced fumbles (33-20), fumble recoveries (12-6), and interceptions (7-0).
Radio host Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh believes Watt's contract situation bears watching.
Cincinnati Bengals: Third-Year Edge Rusher Myles Murphy Faces Make or Break Season
The Bengals selected edge rusher Myles Murphy with the 28th pick in the 2023 draft, but he didn't have a sack in 13 games last season, after getting three as a rookie.
Cincinnati wants more production from Murphy, particularly with All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson's future uncertain future. Hendrickson led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2024, but he has not reached agreement on a contract extension, and the Bengals have given him permission to seek a trade.
Murphy has reduced the amount of sugar in his diet and feels ready for a breakout season.
"Just trying to be way better than last year, for sure," said Murphy via Geoff Hobson of CincinnatiBengals.com. "I ended the season at 282 and three weeks ago I was 265-267. Since then, I've been packing on muscle. Yesterday I weighed myself and I was 274. It's close to last year, but the body fat is different … I feel great."
Murphy is also finetuning his pass-rush technique and plans on using his hands more.
"That's something a little new," Murphy said. "Most definitely working on the hands so I actually have my eyes in the right spot. Just being more accurate with my hands.
"I know I've got everything that it takes to dominate in the league. It's just building up the confidence to know I can make those plays that are ahead of me."
Cleveland Browns: Kenny Pickett Looks Forward to Learning From Joe Flacco
The Browns recently signed Joe Flacco, and they may take a young quarterback in next week's draft. However, Kenny Pickett is looking forward to the competition and says he will emerge as the starter next season for the Browns.
"That's the plan, man (to start)," Pickett said via Jerry DiPaola of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I'm not going there to hang out. I want to go play. I'm excited, been working hard for it, taking it a day at a time."
Pickett said he looked forward to being in the same quarterback room with Flacco.
"I've heard nothing but great things about Joe," Pickett said. "I've been watching him since I was 10 years old. Total respect for Joe, what he's done and I'm excited to get to work with him, too."
