The Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers could do something so bizarre, might just work. A player swap – with some additional compensation – to swap TJ Watt and Brock Purdy for an all-time blockbuster trade.
Former NFL defensive lineman Chris Canty floated the idea of the Steelers acquiring Purdy from the 49ers in exchange for Watt.
"Using T.J. Watt as a way to be able to pry Brock Purdy from San Francisco," Canty said on ESPN Radio's "UnSportsmanLike," h/t NBC Sports Bay Area. "The 49ers gutted at defense, being able to add some help for Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. T.J. Watt in that group. [Robert] Saleh now back there as the defensive coordinator.
"[The 49ers] got the 11th overall pick, so they can presumably draft a quarterback if they don't have to give up that pick in the trade. I don't know how the 49ers say no to that."
Could it work? Sure. The question is, would either team really be willing to make the first move? It’s a move that would truly be a win-win for both sides. The Steelers send a premier EDGE rusher to the 49ers who feast on defensive players.
Meanwhile the Steelers would finally get their long term answer at quarterback. They’ve had a revolving door of quarterbacks lately with Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. That’s just over the last two seasons.
The Steelers need some consistency at the quarterback position and this move could solve that. But would it be worth it for the Steelers?
What would the 49ers gain in a blockbuster trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers to acquire TJ Watt for Brock Purdy?
The biggest reason San Francisco should even entertain this is if they can’t come to terms with paying Purdy upwards of $50 million for his next contract. For as good as Purdy has been, he hasn’t quite been worth that amount.
He’s going to want elite quarterback money, though he really hasn’t had a healthy season, appeared in one Super Bowl, but hasn’t really been that top tier caliber quarterback for the 49ers.
Purdy is probably replaceable in Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch’s eyes. After all, they did turn him into a starting quarterback after picking him with the last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. This feels very much like the situation the Minnesota Vikings were in with Sam Darnold.
That’s why they might not hesitate if the Steelers showed interest in trading for Purdy. They’ve probably seen all they need to know he’s not worth whatever his asking price would be. And the Steelers might just be desperate enough to cut the check.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should solve their revolving door of quarterbacks with Brock Purdy even if it costs them TJ Watt
As good as TJ Watt has been, he’s aging and while he still has some value, the Steelers shouldn’t shy away from dangling him as a trade piece for Purdy, in a hypothetical situation. Watt is 30 years old and could be the ideal piece for the 49ers to use.
In the meantime, the Steelers get a young, promising quarterback in Purdy to keep them competitive. The only reservation I would have about a move like this is will the Steelers really be interested in throwing money at Purdy.
If they weren’t interested in paying $20 million a year to keep Fields, it doesn’t feel like they’d throw out nearly three times as much as that to retain Purdy and that would be the only reason they’d make this trade is if they’re ready to pay a quarterback.
While it’s a crazy idea, this could end up being one of those moves that will probably never happen, but could work if it did. If it did, it would be one of the craziest trades in NFL history, but also one of the most balanced.