T.J. Watt was a no-show on Tuesday for the first session of the Pittsburgh Steelers' mandatory minicamp.

Unlike Buffalo Bills wideout Stefon Diggs and Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, though, the superstar pass-rusher wasn't away from his longtime team due to an ongoing contract dispute. As Mike Tomlin told reporters, Watt's absence on day one of minicamp was fully excused.

Watt is coming off a season in which he missed six games due to injury and notched just five-and-a-half sacks, the lowest total of his career. Still, he was named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster at outside linebacker alongside Matt Judon and Khalil Mack, evidence of Watt's sizable impact even at less than 100 percent health and well-earned reputation as one of the several best defenders in football.

“I’m feeling a lot better now,” he said in February, per Tommy Jaggi of Still Curtain. “I mean, it just seemed like the injury bug bit me hard this year and I couldn’t really shake it. It was just one thing kind of after the other. Just little bumps and bruises along the way that prevented me from playing the type of football that I’m used to playing and normally play.”

Pittsburgh went 9-8 in 2022, missing the playoffs for the third time in the last five years. With Watt back at full-strength, leading a talented defense featuring star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick underrated sack artist Alex Highsmith, expect the Steelers to be right back in contention for a postseason spot next season.