The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in unfamiliar territory. For the first time since 2007, they do not have a head coach. Former Head Coach Mike Tomlin stepped down following the team's 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans, which marked the Steelers' seventh-straight playoff loss. The roster is in a very odd position; the team has a good young nucleus, but some aging veterans that aren't performing at a high enough level. Whomever the Steelers' next coach is, he will have some very tough roster decisions to make. Specifically with outside linebacker TJ Watt. Watt is signed through the 2028 season, but his Steelers tenure may not last that long.
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Steelers superstar edge rusher TJ Watt lets out a thunderous roar after delivering a game-changing play against the Cleveland Browns, igniting the crowd and fueling Pittsburgh’s defensive momentum.
Watt has been the face of the franchise since future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2021. Watt is a former AP Defensive Player of the Year winner, three-time sack leader, and four-time All-Pro. He's also notched eight Pro Bowls. It's safe to say Watt will be enshrined in Canton one day; but, the past two seasons, he has shown some serious decline in his pass rush. In 2024, Watt notched 11.5 sacks, not his usual standard, but otherwise a solid season.
In the offseason, Watt held out of offseason workouts for a new extension. He got what he wished for, inking a three-year extension worth $123 million. In year one of said extenstion, Watt did not perform to his cap hit. Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette appeared on 93.7 The Fan recently to talk about the Steelers and their veterans. He specifically talked about Watt and his contract being unmovable.
"I think the tough thing with TJ, you know, you'd have to find a taker for him. I think the compensation for TJ would be less than a lot of fans might expect based on his name value, because of how bloated that contract is." Batko explained. "You need a team that has the salary cap space to take that on, or at least can create it and is probably like one piece like that away from winning a Super Bowl."
There was a time when Watt may have fetched multiple first-round picks, but he's now 31, and his age is showing in his play. Watt registered just seven sacks in 2025, the lowest number since his rookie season.
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Steelers superstar pass rusher TJ Watt celebrates with the football after making one of his iconic splash plays.
Watt will go down as one of the franchise's best defensive players of all time. However, in his nine years in the NFL, he has no playoff wins. That's not solely because of him, but it matters. Watt has never requested a trade during in his time in Pittsburgh, and likely never will, but the Steelers must take action on this situation.
Steelers Could Be Okay With Out Watt
If there's one position the Steelers are excellent at developing, it's edge rusher. They've been doing it for a long time. Alex Highsmith is a star when healthy, while Nick Herbig has shown he can be a starter in the NFL, and is arguably the Steelers' best pass rusher currently. Even rookie fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer showed flashes of stardom in his rookie season. He had a strip sack in the team's Wild Card loss. The Steelers' record without Watt is several games under .500.
This record proves just how valuable Watt is, but when Watt missed three games toward the end of the 2025 campaign with a lung injury, the team won two of those matchups convincingly. The team proved that even without Watt, it could still win games.
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Steelers linebacker Jack Sawyer (33) during a postseason matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans.
The Steelers should find a way to move Watt and his bloated contract. Letting Watt go chase a playoff win with a real contender could be best for both parties. With the Steelers' quarterback situation, there's no telling when they will be ready to compete for Super Bowls again. A team like the San Francisco 49ers would be great for Watt. Paired with star edge rusher Nick Bosa, the 49ers have been contenders for many years now and would give Watt a good chance at his first Lombardi.
What do you think? Should the Steelers just keep Watt? Should they look to move Watt? What team would Watt fit best? Let us know in the comments.
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