The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost one of their rotational defensive linemen, as DL Armon Watts has signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
Watts spent just one season in Pittsburgh after stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. While his numbers didn’t pop off the page, Watts was solid in playing 28% of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps last season. He had 15 total tackles, three quarterback hits, and 0.5 sack last season.
Watts is signing a $3 million deal with the Patriots, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
Pittsburgh already had a need on the defensive line, and losing Watts makes that need even greater. We’ll see if the Steelers address the position in free agency or if they will look to prioritize it in the draft. Watts officially became a free agent at 4:00 p.m. today and quickly inked an agreement with New England. The Patriots are rebuilding after trading away QB Mac Jones, and they currently hold the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Watts should have the opportunity to play a bigger role next season in New England under new head coach Jerod Mayo and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington than he might have had in Pittsburgh.
For his career, Watts has 140 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 72 career games with 22 career starts. He was a sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2019 out of Arkansas. At just 27 years old, he has five years of experience and has significant experience as a starter with the Bears, where he started 12 games in 2022 prior to coming to Pittsburgh. His best season came in 2021 with the Vikings, when he had five sacks and 46 tackles, along with ten quarterback hits. He started nine games for the Vikings that season.
In New England, he’ll join a defensive line that also features DL Davon Godchaux and Christian Barmore, along with Keion White and Deatrich Wise Jr. We’ll see how the Steelers look to address the defensive line position in the upcoming days and weeks.
