Trade Packages Steelers Should Consider for T.J. Watt Instead of Paying New Contract

The Pittsburgh Steelers may not be done refacing their roster. One more big trade may still occur prior to the start of the 2025 campaign.

After acquiring cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a swap of late-round draft picks, rumors began percolating about T.J. Watt possibly getting dealt.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, "multiple teams have been discussing whether they can trade" for the four-time first-team All-Pro.

Brooke Pryor added: "The Steelers haven'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 Monday's trade."

Watt has been an elite defender for the majority of his career. He is an annual NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He managed 11.5 or more sacks in six of his eight professional seasons. However, he and the Steelers are currently at an impasse over where he stands at this point of his career and how much he's worth.

"The stalemate is that T.J. Watt wants to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league," Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette told The Rich Eisen Show. "... They want to bring Watt back. They did see a decline his play last year."

If the Steelers aren't amenable to making the 30-year-old the highest-paid non-quarterback at $41 million annually, a small handful of suitors should be willing to pay the price for his services—through a windfall of assets, while also handing Watt a record-breaking contract extension.

Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

Los Angeles Rams edge-defender Jared Verse

Trade Package: 2026 first-round draft pick and Edge Byron Young

Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead famously wore a "F--k them picks" to the team's Super Bowl LVI victory parade. He, along with the team, can return to the approach that netted them their last championship.

Snead and Co. have never been shy about moving high draft picks to acquire high-end veteran talent. Watt is about as good of a defender as a squad can acquire.

Currently, the Rams have the luxury of owning two first-round selections thanks to the Atlanta Falcons, who traded back into the opening frame of this year's draft to select Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr.

The Rams can use their own first-round selection, which is expected to be the lower of the two, and use it as part of the package to acquire Watt.

A deal to obtain the seven-time Pro Bowler works on two levels.

First, Watt immediately provides the team with a defensive identity. The Rams will be pinning their ears back and making life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. With a player of his caliber playing opposite reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse, as well as Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner working along the interior, plenty of opportunities will be created for one-on-one matches.

Second, the Rams again push their chips in to make sure their Super Bowl window is now. The team wants to maximize quarterback Matthew Stafford's final years. Watt's acquisition should be seen as the type of move to do so.

Along with a future first-round pick, the Rams can send Byron Young back in return. He has two years left on his rookie deal. It helps offset the Steelers' loss for a player who would have become a rotational piece in Los Angeles and likely not re-sign. Meanwhile, Verse and Fiske still have three more seasons operating under their rookie contracts.

Detroit Lions

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell

Trade Package: 2026 first- and third-round picks, plus a 2027 second-rounder

The Detroit Lions making a move for Watt simultaneously makes complete sense while walking the fine line of not being able to maintain a competitive roster over the long haul.

The Lions are this close to finally breaking through and playing in the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl. Everything about the team says its capable of doing so. Yet, the squad fell short the last two seasons. Detroit seems to be missing something.

One piece that has been lacking for some time is a legitimate secondary threat as a pass-rusher. This issue dates back to the Ziggy Ansah and persists to this day, even when Aidan Hutchinson is healthy.

Watt opposite Hutchinson has the potential to be a devastating combo. Both are already expected to be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation going into the season. The two forming bookends is a frightening proposal.

With Hutchinson out of the lineup for most of last season, Detroit finished among the league's bottom 10 with 33 sacks. He led the team with 7.5 despite playing in only five contests.

At the same time, the Lions front office has done an exceptional job building the team's roster and elevating the entire organization, where it's no longer counted among the NFL's bottom-feeders. Detroit invests in certain talent that fits its culture and style of play. Watt fits the bill.

In the near future, the Lions will look to extend Hutchinson, safety Brian Branch, tight end Sam LaPorta, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and possibly wide receiver Jameson Williams. It's a balancing act to take a chance at getting the final piece of the championship puzzle without blowing up the entire picture.

That first Super Bowl is squarely in Detroit's sights. As such, the Lions should seriously entertain a Watt trade despite the cost.

Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels

Trade Package: 2026 first-round pick, 2027 second- and third-round selections

The Washington Commanders are in the position any team wants to be in if it's going to make a splash move to improve its roster.

They have a franchise quarterback in place under a rookie contract. Jayden Daniels isn't going to see top-of-the-market money for another five years. This point is exactly when the Commanders need to go all-in and capitalize on that financial advantage.

The fact that Washington lacks a true-blue pass-rusher makes a potential move for Watt even more of a necessity.

A season ago, Dante Fowler Jr. led the squad with 10.5 sacks. He re-signed with the Dallas Cowboys in free agency. Frankie Luvu finished second on the team with eight sacks, but he's an off-ball linebacker with a knack for blitzing and timing his pressures. No one else currently on the roster managed more than five.

Washington has over $21 million in available salary-cap space, per Spotrac. That figure jumps to $78 million in 2026. The Commanders have the necessary flexibility to bring in Watt and pay him accordingly. Though the team will look to extend either or both of its starting wide receivers, Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel, who are free agents after the upcoming season.

The Commanders made it to the NFC Championship Game this past season without Watt and Samuel, while being led by a rookie quarterback. Those additions, alongside the acquisition of Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, with Daniels fully entrenched and more comfortable in Year 2, has the potential to make Washington a dominant squad and the best the NFC has to offer.

However, the difference between what the Commanders can offer, as opposed to the Lions, falls to the lack of a 2026 second-round pick, which was packaged to the Houston Texans for Tunsil's services.

New England Patriots

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel

Trade Package: 2026 second-round draft pick, 2027 third-round pick and safety Jabrill Peppers

If a team such as the New England Patriots comes into play, a potential Watt trade clearly becomes a salary-dump for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Notice that each of the previously mentioned suitors is found on the NFC side of the ledger. They're not direction competition for Pittsburgh to make another run at a Super Bowl. Make no mistake, these recent moves by the Steelers, including the signing of Aaron Rodgers, is all about getting to another Super Bowl this season.

Whereas, the Patriots aren't a direct threat to Pittsburgh's primary goal, because New England is in a rebuilding phase and still has the financial flexibility to give Watt what he wants contractually. Yes, the two squads play each other this season, though it's early enough in the year (Week 3) where a team like New England is still trying to find its new footing under a new coaching staff and with a new-look roster.

For the Patriots, Watt can set the tone and establish a baseline of expectations both on the field and in the locker room. As quarterback Drake Maye continues to grow into his role, Watt can be the unquestioned leader of these Patriots.

Head coach Mike Vrabel has always been a defensive guy first. Watt playing alongside Christian Barmore and free-agent acquisitions Milton Williams and Harold Landry III can get New England back to what once made the team successful in the early 2000s by playing a hardnosed brand of football.

Because the Patriots are still in transition, they can send veteran safety Jabrill Peppers back in return. They're unlikely to give up a future first-rounder, though.

Pittsburgh still has DeShon Elliott and Juan Thornhill along the back line, but Peppers can be used as a defensive chess piece to help offset the loss of Minkah Fitzpatrick.