As if we needed any more drama to begin the week, now T.J. Watt is being rumored in trade buzz. On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins executed the blockbuster trade of the offseason, which sent Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a late-round pick swap. But instead of basking in the trade fallout, the NFL's heavy-hitters shifted the focus to Watt.
Just hours after the massive trade was announced, ESPN Insider Adam Schefter was looking to make waves regarding a disgruntled T.J. Watt, talking about how teams will have an increased interest in reaching out to the Steelers about the superstar pass rusher after Monday's trade.
"In recent weeks, multiple teams have been discussing whether they can trade for Steelers’ standout T.J. Watt, who skipped the team’s most recent minicamp," Schefter posted on X. "Pittsburgh hasn’t shown any willingness to deal Watt so far, but he’s unhappy with his contractual situation and sources believe outside team interest is likely to increase given today’s trade."
While I have no doubt that there are more than a few contending teams that would love to add the perennial All-Pro edge rusher to their roster, this is unnecessary drama for a trade that will never happen.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will not move on from T.J. Watt, despite puzzling trade buzz
T.J. Watt is seeking a new contract that will make him the richest defensive player in the history of the league. This is no secret, but it seems to be a hold-up in the Pittsburgh Steelers handing him a new contract extension.
The last time Watt was up for a new deal, he missed all of training camp and the preseason in 2021 before finally showing up to the facility and inking his contract before Week 1. He would later go on to tie Michael Strahan's single-season sack record and earn Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Though the Steelers shouldn't expect the same level of dominance in 2025 from their star, who turns 31 in October, Watt isn't going anywhere... and it's easy to see why.
The most counterproductive decision the Steelers could make would be to trade away their best player after clearly making win-now moves for assets like adding Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Darius Slay, and now Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith. Outside of Metcalf, these player acquisitions have an age range between 30 and 41 years old, which shows that his team obviously isn't looking to build for the future.
Watt's age and potential decline beyond the 2025 season are a moot point at this juncture. The Pittsburgh Steelers clearly chose a direction and are doing everything in their power to snap an eight-year drought without a playoff win. Trading T.J. Watt would be the worst thing this front office could do to hurt their chances of competing in the postseason this year.
Teams could be calling the Steelers about T.J. Watt, but this is nothing more than a power play by Watt's team as the superstar seeks a new deal. Pittsburgh isn't trading away the future Hall of Famer when all signs point to competing in 2025, and this trade buzz needs to die down fast.