The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the older teams in the NFL when it comes to the defensive side of the ball, and those staples on that side are a big reason that the organization is still in "win-now" mode. Players like Cam Heyward and TJ Watt that have spent their entire careers with the the franchise, but have not seen too much playoff success, and the organization is desperate to change that. It has clouded the team's judgement in some regards as some questionable decisions have been made over the last few years as the franchise looks to continue to compete in the regular season.
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Steelers' TJ Watt smiles before Week 12 game against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football.
One of the moments where it was clear to the fan base that the team is still trying to win currently rather than plan for the future was when the front office extended Watt before the 2025 season. The decision-makers signed Watt to a three-year extension worth $123 million, which will keep him on the roster through the 2028 campaign. It is great to have Watt with the team, but had the organization been planning for the future, trading the star pass rusher would have been the smarter move.
The Cleveland Browns were recently able to do what the Steelers couldn't as Cleveland parted ways with Myles Garrett and sent him to the Los Angeles Rams. This was a great trade for the Browns as they got a young pass rusher in return in Jared Verse, as well as first, second, and third round picks.
Pittsburgh wouldn't be able to get that return for Watt anymore, but trading Watt would still be beneficial. NFL insider Jeremy Fowler was asked about the idea of trading Watt during an appearance on the DVE Morning Show.
"I did a 2027 offseason primer story a couple weeks ago, just asking people around the league what's the storyline we're gonna be talking about next offseason." Fowler said. "And a couple people did mention TJ Watt for that same reason. The Steelers are a legacy team and they're in a different position than the Browns a little bit, where even if they're not winning a Super Bowl this year, they've still been a playoff team. So l'd be harder-pressed to say Watt would be traded like Garrett was, but these are the realities that teams face now when they're paying a guy $40 million a year and he gets in his 30s."
Fowler mentioned that the Steelers will have a decision to make with Watt once the 2027 season rolls around, but he didn't seem to think there was any chance that Watt could get traded.
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Steelers' TJ Watt signs autographs before an away game against the New England Patriots during the 2025 season.
Even if the Steelers suddenly wanted to trade Watt, it would be incredibly hard to do. His contract is not friendly in the slightest, and his production dropped off significantly in 2025.
He recorded just seven sacks on the year, but he did contribute in other areas. He had two interceptions and three forced fumbles as well, and he drew a ton of attention from opposing offenses. Watt is expected to return back to his old ways in 2026, and that could boost his trade value for the 2027 offseason.
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Steelers outside linebacker TJ Watt goes through warmups on the field prior to kickoff on Christmas Day as Pittsburgh prepares for a highly anticipated holiday matchup.
Steelers Hope To Get More Out Of TJ Watt Moving Forward
If Watt continues to produce like he did during the 2025 season, the contract extension he signed is going to look real bad for the organization. The Steelers do not have a way out of the contract until after the 2027 campaign. If the team were to move on from the star edge rusher, it would incur a dead cap hit of $10 million but save roughly $36 million. That is a legitimate possibility, unless he gets back to how he looked during the 2023 year.
What do you think the chances are the Steelers ever trade Watt? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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