Steelers Rumors: Surprise trade, Minkah sends message, Head Coach Matt Canada?

Steelers Rumors: 3 stars have high trade value rankings

To avoid diving head-first into the rumor mill: this report doesn't say these Steelers players should or will be traded. It just says they have high trade values, which feels more of neutral than a polarizing statement.

According to The Ringer's Sheil Kapadia, Kenny Pickett, T.J. Watt, and Minkah Fitzpatrick are the three Steelers who have particularly high trade values in 2023. They are, after all, the best players on the team. This makes sense.

For Pickett, Kapadia put the quarterback in Tier 11, also known as "Our Fans Will Riot If We Trade Them." The 25-year-old Pitt product still has three years remaining on his rookie contract and doesn't feel like a lost cause just yet, not as long as he makes at least minor improvements and maybe becomes a competent starter in 2023.

The other two Steelers stars that made the list are T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, both in Tier 5: "Elite and Expensive." That tier feels self-explanatory. Watt and Fitzpatrick have been the two defensive cornerstones of Pittsburgh's defense for the last several years; Watt is under contract through 2025, and Fitzpatrick is under contract through 2026.

Any theoretical trade package for either defender would include at least two first-round picks (think the Khalil Mack and Jamal Adams trades). Unless the Steelers fall off a cliff this season, those two stars will be around for hopefully the long haul.