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If the Pittsburgh Steelers have been looking to move on from T.J. Watt or want to do so in the future, they probably missed their best window to do so just about a year or two ago.
There was a time when many considered him one of the better defensive players in the NFL, and I'm still in the boat that, while always dealing with injuries, he's still among the elite at getting to the quarterback in this league. However, that doesn't mean teams around the league feel that way, so there's a very good chance his eventual price tag in a potential trade will be much lower than many people think.
Until we find out what it'll be, there isn't much more to say, but others are starting to gauge his trade market and believe that if the Steelers go in that direction, it'll probably be during next offseason, so long as he has a bounce-back year in 2026.
“In the last two years alone, Highsmith has missed 10 games and Herbig has missed seven. Watt had his lung punctured by the medical staff last season and will turn 32 in October. It makes sense to me — especially on a team in a win-now posture behind a 42-year-old QB — to keep all of the outside linebackers this season.
“However, next offseason is the right time to move one. Highsmith is more likely to be traded because he’d have just one year left on his contract and my sense is the Steelers would like Watt to be a “one helmet” guy. However, I would seriously consider moving Watt next offseason for a haul. If he has a bounce-back season, I don’t think a first-round pick would be out of the question considering what the Browns got for Myles Garrett and what the Ravens were prepared to give up for Maxx Crosby,” Mike DeFabo wrote.
Watt definitely feels like one of those guys that the Steelers want to keep around for a very long time. Again, that doesn't always mean it will be the case, but it's an interesting talking point given how well he's played over much of his career.
As DeFabo touched on, perhaps somebody like Alex Highsmith could be available before him, which, unfortunately, might be wiser to do than trading a player who many consider a franchise legend.
Continue reading...
There was a time when many considered him one of the better defensive players in the NFL, and I'm still in the boat that, while always dealing with injuries, he's still among the elite at getting to the quarterback in this league. However, that doesn't mean teams around the league feel that way, so there's a very good chance his eventual price tag in a potential trade will be much lower than many people think.
Until we find out what it'll be, there isn't much more to say, but others are starting to gauge his trade market and believe that if the Steelers go in that direction, it'll probably be during next offseason, so long as he has a bounce-back year in 2026.
“In the last two years alone, Highsmith has missed 10 games and Herbig has missed seven. Watt had his lung punctured by the medical staff last season and will turn 32 in October. It makes sense to me — especially on a team in a win-now posture behind a 42-year-old QB — to keep all of the outside linebackers this season.
“However, next offseason is the right time to move one. Highsmith is more likely to be traded because he’d have just one year left on his contract and my sense is the Steelers would like Watt to be a “one helmet” guy. However, I would seriously consider moving Watt next offseason for a haul. If he has a bounce-back season, I don’t think a first-round pick would be out of the question considering what the Browns got for Myles Garrett and what the Ravens were prepared to give up for Maxx Crosby,” Mike DeFabo wrote.
Watt definitely feels like one of those guys that the Steelers want to keep around for a very long time. Again, that doesn't always mean it will be the case, but it's an interesting talking point given how well he's played over much of his career.
As DeFabo touched on, perhaps somebody like Alex Highsmith could be available before him, which, unfortunately, might be wiser to do than trading a player who many consider a franchise legend.
Continue reading...
