The Pittsburgh Steelers threw a lot of money at T.J. Watt to have him continue to ply his trade, and they have little to show for it. Sure, they have won a pile of regular-season games—and rarely win when he doesn’t play. But they haven’t won a playoff game since they drafted him, let alone since his extension. And on the eve of another extension, former Steelers reporter Ed Bouchette has some thoughts on the matter.
During a rare radio appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Bouchette addressed a question about Watt’s future. With the Steelers appearing no closer to winning a playoff game, speculation has mounted about trading valuable resources. He noted a friend’s reaction to a T.J. Watt trade, expressing indignation and insisting that he is a Steeler for life.
“Well, there is that. But what are you getting from that? What’s T.J. gonna be this year?”, he said. “He’s coming up on 31, and then you’ve got to give him a new contract because he’s coming into the last year of his contract. Is he gonna have another hold-in until he gets one?
“And how close are you to appreciating the value for [Watt] that he’s gonna help you get to a Super Bowl. And he has to think of that, too. ‘Do I want to get to a Super Bowl, or do I want to stay a Steeler for the rest of my life’”?
While T.J. Watt reaffirmed his conviction to remain with the Steelers, outside parties are more intrigued by the possibility. As Bouchette noted, the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year is on the wrong side of 30. He is also coming off a “down” year with a mere 11.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. While his contract status is a consideration, notable trades typically involve signing a new contract anyway.
Bouchette noted that plenty of former Steelers greats like Franco Harris and Rod Woodson finished their careers elsewhere. A more recent example is James Harrison, though he was never a one-helmet guy in the first place. In recent years, plenty of former Steelers have gone on to have success elsewhere, even if not in the biggest roles. A team that feels it’s one piece away could certainly be tempted by a player the caliber of T.J. Watt.
“If you get real good value for him, I would consider [trading Watt]”, Bouchette said. “They’re not going to—I don’t think [the Steelers are] going to. I’d consider it. I’d consider him and Minkah [Fitzpatrick], and I’d certainly get rid of [George Pickens] one way or the other”.
I’m sure most agree the Steelers entertaining a trade offer for T.J. Watt is extraordinarily unlikely. It’s not something the team has done in a very long time—trading a strength and a building-block player. Those are things teams that accept the existence of rebuilding phases do, and that’s not Pittsburgh. But one can certainly argue that it would be best not only for the Steelers, but for Watt as well.
