The Steelers could be a perfect landing spot for J.J. Watt if he gets to free agency in 2023.
Many fans of the Steelers have been holding onto hope for a long time that all three Watt brothers could be on this team. That could be tricky, but there is an actual paved road ahead that could make that a reality. It will take some things to fall into place for all three to suit up for Pittsburgh in 2023.
Derek Watt is currently scheduled to become a free agent after the season so the black and gold would need to sign him. T.J. Watt is signed here long-term and will not be going anywhere. J.J. Watt is currently in his final season under contract with the Arizona Cardinals.
The last time that this eldest Watt brother was a free agent, many saw the fit with the Steelers. His brothers play there, but Stephon Tuitt was still in the fold at that time. The position opposite of Cam Heyward has now become somewhat of a question mark and could need an upgrade come free agency after this schedule concludes.
J.J. Watt could join his brothers on the Steelers
Again, this would need a couple of things to occur for this scenario to become reality. Both Derek Watt would need to re-sign with the Steelers and J.J. Watt would need to hit free agency. He has not performed with high numbers during his time with the Cardinals, so his market could drop some.
Pittsburgh could swing in and promote the idea of playing with his brothers and a stable franchise as his career starts to wind down. Giving him a couple of years on a contract that allows for him to have some fun and compete for a historically good football team. He wants to win a Super Bowl and that could throw a kink in this family reunion, but the great stories that would come with this would be amazing.
The Steelers will have enough cap space to sign him this time around
The last time J.J. Watt was a free agent, the Steelers did not have enough cap space to accommodate this player accordingly. It is unknown if the franchise even offered him a contract before he made his decision. Nonetheless, he would go to one of the highest bidders with a chance of winning at the time, the Arizona Cardinals.
It was a shocker as many did not hear anything about the desert being in play for his services. It did make sense after the fact, but this marriage has not gone according to plan. The Cardinals have not seen the post-season success that they were imagining when they made the deal.
Now it looks like unless Watt has an outstanding comeback year, this will end with him walking away and looking for a new opportunity. If he produces at last season’s output, he could struggle to look for a nice value contract in his favor. He has not been performing near the peak of his career as he continues to slow down in production.
The Steelers will have the cap space to sign this player next offseason as they currently sit on a heap of spending cash. That amount will change with different contract extensions, contract restructures, and other free agency signings next offseason. At this moment, they are projected to have nearly 40 million in spending cash.
A starting spot could be available opposite Cam Heyward
One of the most interesting aspects of signing J.J. Watt onto the Steelers would be seeing him lineup next to Cam Heyward. Getting into the interior of the trenches with one of the best veterans in the NFL would potentially help his stats get some extra help. Watt has been a special player in the league for years and coming here could turn back time.
Heyward and Stephon Tuitt were one of the best interior defensive tandems during their time together. Pittsburgh will now be on the hunt to replace Tuitt during the 2022 season and they hope to find one internally. That could change the thought process of this acquisition later, but right now there are question marks.
Watt would bring stability and someone that has been there and done it. He has accomplished a lot during his career to this point and could provide stability at the starting spot for this club. He would create a nice duo in the middle for the black and gold.
It would be interesting to see where Watt would be at during that point in his career, despite this only being less than a year away. He needs to prove himself this season to be rewarded in free agency next offseason if he even makes it to that point. This veteran will be turning 34 next March so he could always think about hanging up his cleats for good.
Watt would be a perfect fit to plug into the Steelers defense
Everyone talks about J.J. Watt and how much of a tough football player that he is. The relentless motor is something that helped him forge a path into the Hall of Fame after he decides to retire. His career is starting to slip when it comes to production and staying healthy, but his name carries a lot of weight still in this league.
Right now, the Steelers do not seem to have a perfect solution to replace Stephon Tuitt. They will be trying to have a group of three to four players work together to try and replace Tuitt at his vacant starting spot in 2022. Depending on how successful that goes and if a player cannot emerge as a legit successor, Watt could become a prime free agency target.
If none of the current players on the roster show enough and some leave in free agency, this veteran should be an option. Getting into this room as someone with a wealth of knowledge and helping transition some of these young guys into bigger roles would be huge for this defense. Isaiahh Loudermilk and DeMarvin Leal would benefit from this signing.
No matter if he would be signed on as the starter or if he would get more breaks than he is used to. That would allow for these younger players to continue to grow at a slower rate and allow for Watt to potentially have a starting job on a good defensive unit. This would be a nice fit for this player and the Steelers if he becomes a free agent in 2023.
J.J. Watt would be a great addition to this Steelers defense in 2023. There are a lot of dominos that are aiming towards this becoming more of a reality then it was the last time he was a free agent.