The Pittsburgh Steelers are between a rock and hard place when it pertains to their star pass rusher, T.J. Watt. When healthy, Watt is one of the most reliable pass rushers in all of football. He is a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and despite his age should be in that position again in 2025.
The Steelers have no issue with Watt's production, or how he handles himself off the field. What has become a problem is Watt's contract, which is set to expire following the 2025 season. Watt will make over $21 million this coming campaign. After that, he will become a free agent unless the Steelers extend him, or place the vaunted franchise tag on the 30-year-old.
How Myles Garrett's contract screwed over the Steelers and TJ Watt
The rival Cleveland Browns signed Myles Garrett to a four-year extension which will pay him an average of $40 million per season this offseason. That is nearly double what Watt will earn in 2025. Garrett is not twice the player Watt is. In fact, one could argue they are the two best players at their position in the NFL. Steelers and Browns fans go back and forth about that very issue each season, and there is no right answer as to who is better. What has become clear is that Watt is due for a raise, and he knows it.
The Steelers already spend the most money on their defense in the NFL. This is the same unit which collapsed down the stretch in the 2024-25 season, and failed to provide much resistance against the division rival Ravens in the AFC Wild Card round. Watt has never won a playoff game, and while that is hardly his fault, is does say something about the way his Steelers teams are constructed. Paying Watt in excess of $40 million per season on a long-term deal isn't going to get the job done.
TJ Watt's trade market is nonexistent for a reason
So, Pittsburgh is presented with one possible solution which was unthinkable prior to Garrett's game-changing contract – they could trade their best player. Unfortunately for the Steelers and Omar Khan, such a move wouldn't net them the return some would assume, per insider Mark Kaboly.
"I just don't think there's a lot of market out there for somebody that wants a 31-year-old for $160 million," Kaboly said on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh. "What I'm saying is a second-round pick maybe. If you're thinking a one, a two, and a three next year or something like that, you're absolutely kidding yourself."
That is the harsh truth for the Steelers. If they don't pay Watt, they risk a preseason holdout or worse. If they pay Watt into his mid-to-late 30's, they could be hamstrung by the salary cap when they really need it. Trading an undervalued Watt for picks is the least desirable option, and it won't net the Steelers much in return anyway.
Pittsburgh has put off a rebuild for years and it has left them with a team just good enough to make the postseason, but never explosive enough to make a playoff run. Watt's postseason record is a byproduct of that. Now the Steelers must pick up the pieces.