The Pittsburgh Steelers have made several big-name moves this offseason, but the biggest one could be on the horizon with a T.J. Watt trade. Widely considered to be, at worst, a top-two edge defender, Watt is currently holding out for a new market-setting extension. While the Steelers don’t want to trade him, the two sides have not made progress in contract talks, and teams are reportedly calling Pittsburgh about their homegrown star.
While Watt is still a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski believes the Los Angeles Rams should make an offer for the pass rusher. In a recent article, the NFL analyst proposed a deal that would send Watt to the Rams in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and edge defender Byron Young.
“[General Manager Les Snead] and co have never been shy about moving high draft picks to acquire high-end veteran talent. Watt is about as good a defender as a squad can acquire,” Sobleski writes. “Currently, the Rams have the luxury of owning two first-round selections thanks to the Atlanta Falcons, who traded back into the opening frame of this year’s draft to select Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr.”
Bleacher Report: Steelers, Rams Could Agree to T.J. Watt Trade
It’s easy to see why the Rams would do something like this. As Sobleski mentioned, the Rams are notoriously aggressive in using their draft capital to acquire proven players, and they have every reason to continue this philosophy. Matthew Stafford is not getting any younger, and 2025 could be the final year of the veteran’s storied career. This team should do everything they can to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February, and a T.J. Watt trade would only increase their odds of winning it all.
Back in 2022, the Los Angeles Rams reportedly tried to trade two first-round picks for then-Carolina Panthers edge defender Brian Burns. While the Panthers rejected the offer, this aggression shows how important pass rushers are to this organization. Pairing Watt with young superstar Jared Verse should give Los Angeles the most fearsome duo of edge rushers in the league.
Of course, it takes two to tango, so would the Steelers agree to this T.J. Watt trade?
Would the Steelers Do This?
Sobleski’s report would have the Steelers trading T.J. Watt for a 2026 first-round pick and edge defender Byron Young while freeing up salary cap space that otherwise would have gone to Watt. While this is a decent return, it’s probably not enough for the Steelers to deal their homegrown star.
Pittsburgh spent the offseason going all-in to try and finally make it past the Wild Card round. Adding Aaron Rodgers, D.K. Metcalf, and Jalen Ramsey only makes sense if you believe you can win a Super Bowl, and trading Watt will unquestionably make the team worse in 2025.
Byron Young is a fine player, but he’s no T.J. Watt. While the Tennessee product has racked up 15.5 sacks through his first two years in the league, he’s a below-average run defender and won’t come close to bringing the same juice to this defense. Barring something completely unforeseen, the Steelers will not trade T.J. Watt.
Main Photo: Barry Reeger – Imagn Images
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