T.J. Watt has quietly been on the decline in recent years. While still a great player, the Pittsburgh Steelers are long for the days of the former defensive player production.
Instead, he has given the team some leaner years stat-wise, and now he is quickly falling out of the top edge rusher conversation.
Even ESPN's Bill Barnwell seems to agree. He recently wrote an article detailing every Steelers player worthy of a first-round pick in a trade. Seven players cracked the list.
Watt was not one of them.
It is a sad reality for one of the most recognizable names on the team. Now it seems like his value continues to deteriorate.
T.J. Watt’s value for the Pittsburgh Steelers continues to decline
While Barnwell’s list isn’t the end-all, be-all, it is another sign of where the value is on this team and where it isn’t. Names like Joey Porter, Zach Frazier, and Troy Fautanu all make sense as young cornerstone players.
Keeanu Benton also being on the list? A little less logical.
However, most telling is Nick Herbig cracking this list. Recently signed to a hearty extension, the youth and upside are there. The production, however, isn’t.
Is Watt just resting on his past success? Barnwell would seem to think so.
Frankly, it makes keeping him one of the biggest risks this year. His deal only continues to get more expensive, and the lack of production is hurting his case. Another year of mediocre production really turns this deal sour.
That is only one slice of the pie, though. Yes, the deal is expensive, and that makes trading for Watt even harder.
However, at this point, given his age and lack of production, I’m not sure a team would line up to trade for him even if his deal were more reasonable.
Edge rushers are one of the most valuable positions on the field, but teams seem wary to give up top value for the position. Myles Garrett only netted one first-round pick to go along with Jared Verse, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick.
Barnwell is right; Watt isn’t worth a first-round pick. I struggle to even see a team giving up a second for him. If he has another bad season, he will be untradeable next year.
If Watt rebounds and gets back to his double-digit sack totals, this becomes a moot point. The Steelers will be happy to have him around, even if his trade value has recovered.
The league has taken notice, though. Watt’s value is on a steady decline, and he needs to get himself back on track this season.
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