After the shocking trade of safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins to acquire DB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith Monday morning, the trade buzz for a potential move of star outside linebacker T.J. Watt from the Steelers in the midst of contract negotiations is heating up.
The Steelers, according to multiple reports, have “no intentions” of trading Watt despite the reported increase in outside interest in the future Hall of Famer. But for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, trading Watt can’t be 100-percent discounted considering the way the Steelers are operating this summer.
“Listen, the Steelers still want to do a deal with T.J., but T.J. has to be receptive to it. It can’t be just a one-way deal where the Steelers are the only ones who are negotiating there. So I don’t have a firm grasp on exactly what T.J. wants, but I do know that he’s not happy right now with what the Steelers are offering. So listen, nothing is off the table,” Fittipaldo stated regarding Watt and the Steelers in an appearance on 93.7 The Fan. “I’m not saying they would trade him. I’m not saying what [Adam] Schefter is saying is wrong. If anything can happen when you get into negotiations like this, I set my expectation is still for T.J. to sign with the Steelers.
“But as of right now, three weeks before training camp, things aren’t going great in that regard.”
Considering Watt skipped mandatory minicamp and hasn’t really said a word this offseason about his status outside of a cryptic Instagram post throwing up a peace sign sending the NFL landscape into a frenzy, it seems safe to assume things aren’t going all that well.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday on The Pat McAfee Show that Watt is not “particularly pleased” with how long contract negotiations are taking, and added that the Steelers and Watt aren’t close on a number. That’s certainly a less than encouraging note.
In contract negotiations like this, you can never rule anything out. Especially in today’s NFL as players seemingly hold a bit more power and sway and can force their way out, but that seems like a stretch to believe the Steelers could trade a player the stature of Watt, who has shown known real signs of slowing down.
Even with a down year production-wise in 2024 with just 11.5 sacks, Watt led the NFL in forced fumbles with six and had offenses scheming against him with chips and double teams, opening things up for others around him. He remains the elite of the elite at the position and should be paid accordingly.
Insiders are split on if he’ll receive more than the $40 million per year that Myles Garrett signed for with Cleveland this offseason, but one thing is clear: the Steelers need Watt, both on the field and in the community. He must remain a one-helmet guy, but things are getting messy right now, and could get worse if he holds out for the start of training camp.
