New T.J. Watt Trade Rumors on Steelers Potentially 'Moving On' from Former NFL DPOY

There is reportedly a belief within the NFL that the Pittsburgh Steelers trading star pass-rusher T.J. Watt is a possibility next offseason.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, "some teams could see Pittsburgh at least considering moving on from [Watt]."

Fowler did note, however, that "Watt is a legacy player, something Pittsburgh values more than most."

The 31-year-old Watt is preparing to enter his 10th NFL season, and he has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh thus far, as the Steelers selected him 30th overall in the 2017 NFL draft.

Watt has firmly established himself as one of the best pass-rushers of his generation and as a potential future Hall of Famer.

The brother of former Houston Texans superstar defensive lineman J.J. Watt, T.J. is an eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time First Team All-Pro. He was also named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 when he tied Michael Strahan's single-season sack record with 22.5.

In 135 career regular-season games, Watt has registered 115 sacks, making him the Steelers' all-time leader in that category.

Watt is just a few years removed from leading the NFL with 19 sacks, and he 11.5 sacks in 2024, but his production took a step back last season.

He finished with seven sacks, matching the fewest of his career in a season in which he played at least 14 games.

Durability has also been a concern for Watt in recent years, as he missed three games last season due to a collapsed lung and seven games in 2022 because of a knee injury.

Pittsburgh signed Watt to a three-year, $123 million contract extension last July, and it kicks in this season, meaning he is signed through the 2028 campaign.

That could complicate a potential trade since Watt has a salary cap hit of $42 million each of the next two seasons, and $46 million in 2028, per Spotrac.

As of now, it seems unlikely that the Steelers would want to part ways with Watt after reaching the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, but if they regress in 2026, perhaps that will be a topic of conversation next offseason.