Last offseason was filled with analysts giving hot takes about the Pittsburgh Steelers. One of the most commonly held beliefs was that the Steelers were going to finish in last place in the AFC North. Analyst Jason McIntyre took that a step further and said the Steelers should trade OLB T.J. Watt. After their recent string of losses, he’s defending that take.
“On a selfish note, I took a lot of heat for my offseason commentary on the Steelers, when I said trade T.J. Watt and start over,” McIntyre said Thursday on FS1’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “But I wasn’t wrong, I was just early. I looked wrong for nine, 10 weeks. What do you do in the offseason for Pittsburgh?”
An awful suggestion when McIntyre originally brought it up isn’t any better now. The Steelers have looked bad over the past few weeks, but that shouldn’t take away from their complete body of work.
This year, even with a new offensive coordinator and quarterback room, the Steelers have comfortably made the playoffs. They could even still win their division.
It’s fair to be frustrated with the Steelers because of their current losing streak. Over the last three weeks, the Steelers have looked awful, and that includes their defense. They’ve looked lost with miscommunication killing any momentum they create. Rather than being a strength, the Steelers’ defense been a weakness.
None of that means they should trade Watt. What does that accomplish? The Steelers would likely get a treasure chest of draft picks, but is any one player they draft going to be as good as Watt? Would all of the players combined even manage to do that? Watt is arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL and one of the best players in Steelers history. The cons outweigh the pros when it comes to trading the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
McIntyre likely believes the Steelers could select their next franchise quarterback with the draft capital gained by trading Watt. However, there’s no guarantee that would happen. Draft picks are like lottery tickets. They could hit big or be nothing at all. Watt is a known commodity. Getting rid of him for a what-if is more likely to hurt the Steelers.
It is funny that McIntyre is taking this victory lap now. Not even a month ago, he apologized for doubting the Steelers. It seems he might be rescinding that apology with this statement. Despite their recent struggles, the Steelers were still one of the NFL’s best for most of the season. They still have a chance to win a playoff game, too. Trading their best player after a season like this would be foolish.
