On Monday, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett officially request a trade from the Cleveland Browns, citing his desire to win a Super Bowl. While most Steelers fans took the opportunity to take a victory lap against one of their most hated antagonists, it may be a better time to look in the mirror and admit that TJ Watt should feel the same way.
Myles Garrett has requested a trade.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 3, 2025
His statement: pic.twitter.com/yx5Q9Exa0V
On Monday’s Still Curtain podcast, I made the argument that not only should Watt want out of Pittsburgh with the same logic that Garrett used to justify his request, but the Steelers should welcome that type of move.
With Mike Tomlin’s latest playoff defeat, this time at the hands of the Ravens in Baltimore, it has been eight seasons since the Steelers won in the postseason, including a 2020 loss to the Browns. Yes, Cleveland has bottomed out much further than Tomlin would ever allow in Pittsburgh, but neither franchise has been able to solve the quarterback position and neither franchise has a clear direction going forward.
The AFC is loaded with superstar quarterbacks, some even bordering on superhero status, so the roster around a Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, or Day 2 draft pick would need to be perfect to compete, and even then it may not be enough. The Philadelphia Eagles have as close to a perfect roster as the salary cap allows you to build in the NFL, and yet the Kansas City Chiefs are favored to win their third-straight Super Bowl on the back of Patrick Mahomes.
The Steelers roster is far from perfect, and the front office doesn’t have the draft capital necessary to go big-game hunting for a quarterback who can compete with Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and CJ Stroud in the AFC. So, now, as Watt heads into his 30s, is the perfect time to load up on young players and draft picks to prepare for the next potential franchise QB.
Trading a player like Garrett or Watt can jumpstart a rebuild, and that might be exactly what the Steelers need to finally get out of NFL purgatory.
You can watch the full episode of the Still Curtain Podcast with me, Josh Yourish, on YouTube, and be sure to like and subscribe to the page for episodes on Mondays and Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. ET.