CBS Sports NFL insider Aditi Kinkhabwala said Wednesday there's a "disconnect" between Watt and the Steelers, similar to what happened last time there was a contract dispute in 2021. Watt last signed a four-year, $112 million deal in 2021 that averaged $28 million per year at the time.

One NFL analyst went so far as to propose the Los Angeles Rams as a trade partner, writing that general manager Les Snead could offer edge rusher Byron Young and one of the team's two 2026 first-round picks for Watt. Whether or not Snead and Sean McVay would entertain such a trade remains to be seen, but the idea is intriguing.

Insider Gerry Dulac believes T.J. Watt wants to be the NFL’s top-paid non-QB — and shared a potential window for when the Steelers deal could happen.