Pittsburgh Steelers’ pass rusher T.J. Watt has been one of the premiere defensive players in the NFL since he stepped foot onto a professional gridiron eight seasons ago. In his career, he’s been named to seven Pro Bowls, four First-Team All-Pros, and was the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year – all in a Steelers jersey.
Following a cryptic Instagram post featuring himself giving a peace sign, T.J. Watt trade rumors have been swirling. Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show told fans across the league they should “keep an eye” on Watt’s contract situation in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers are working with Watt to negotiate a new contract in light of Myles Garrett’s extension, but Kaboly said that Watt’s asking price is currently “a tad higher” than anticipated. While he does believe the two sides will eventually agree to an extension, the possibility of a Watt trade, or at least Watt being on the block, is still open.
If the Steelers were to listen in on offers for Watt, Steve Palazzolo of the Check the Mic podcast believes that the Steelers would only be able to net a third-round selection for Watt in a potential deal.
Watt’s combination of age, entering his age-31 season, and contract status has likely caused the shockingly low market valuation for him. Watt is still a premiere player, coming off an 11.5 sack season, but he’s closer to the end than the beginning of his career.
Last Word on Sports’ David Latham compiled a list of four teams that could be suitors for Watt with that price tag.
The first of which is the Washington Commanders.
“The future is bright for this organization, but they need a few more star players to take the final step. T.J. Watt would easily be the best pass rusher on this team and could fix a defense that was nothing special in 2025. The Commanders have the biggest competitive advantage in football: a franchise quarterback on a rookie contract. Now, it’s time to them to maximize this window.” Wrote Latham.
The other playoff team on Latham’s list is the recent Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles.
“The Philadelphia Eagles were reportedly favorites to trade for Myles Garrett before his Cleveland extension, so they should be interested in T.J. Watt. Despite winning the Super Bowl with the game’s most talented roster, General Manager Howie Roseman knows there is work to be done here. This team became the league’s elite unit thanks to their ability to win in the trenches, and Watt will only make an already dangerous defensive line that much more ferocious.”
Latham also penciled in two non-contenders – the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints.
Of Carolina, Latham wrote “While the team upgraded the secondary and defensive tackle positions in free agency, they still need a game-changing pass rusher. A T.J. Watt trade could make this one of the game’s better defensive units and help Carolina win a wide-open NFC South.”
For the Saints, Latham believes they will “still try and compete” in 2025, and “pairing Watt with Carl Granderson and Young will give New Orleans one of the league’s more dangerous pass rushes.”
The most likely solution is that Watt sticks with Pittsburgh. But if the trade price (as opposed to what might be a $40 million APY contract price) is really that low?
The Steelers’ phones might be ringing.
