Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt has been the subject of conflicting trade rumors as the offseason wears on.
Watt, 30, is set to enter the final year of the four-year, $112 million contract extension he signed in 2021. In early June, the four-time All-Pro sat out of the Steelers’ mandatory veteran minicamp in an attempt to push his team to the negotiating table.
For now, Watt remains without a contract extension.
So as the Steelers’ offseason strategy progressed with a blockbuster trade on Monday, teams around the league began to wonder if a trade for Watt, their star edge rusher, was possible.
Here’s what we know:
T.J. Watt contract
Length: Four years
Total value: $112 million
Average annual value (AAV): $28 million
Watt signed his most recent contract extension in 2021, and 2025 is the last season of the four-year deal.
The overall value of Watt’s current contract ranks fifth among NFL edge rushers. Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett, Joshua Hines-Allen and Brian Burns are all playing on more lucrative overall deals.
In terms of AAV, Watt is the seventh highest-paid edge rusher per year. All five of the aforementioned edge rushers are above him as well as Texans pass-rusher Danielle Hunter on his one-year, $35.6 million deal and the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby making $35.5 million per year for three years.
Crosby and Garrett signed massive extensions earlier in the offseason. Crosby’s deal reset the edge rusher market first, then Garrett’s extension pushed it even further with its $40 million-per-year average over four years.
T.J. Watt trade rumors
ESPN reported Monday that ‘multiple teams’ have discussed making a move for Watt after the Steelers traded safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round pick for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith.
With Ramsey getting a pay bump in 2025 and Smith getting a one-year extension as part of the trade, other teams wondered if the Steelers might have been gearing up to move their star pass-rusher. As Watt remains without an extension and his holdout continues, trade speculation will likely only continue to grow.
However, ESPN also reported that ‘the Steelers are adamant they want Watt to finish his career in Pittsburgh.’
Will the Steelers trade T.J. Watt?
Both ESPN and NFL Network reported that the Steelers don’t want to trade their four-time All-Pro edge rusher.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the team is ‘adamant’ to keep Watt in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Steelers ‘have no interest’ in moving on from the seven-time Pro Bowler.
It remains to be seen whether another team can provide an offer the Steelers can’t refuse while also having the capability to give Watt the extension he seeks.
T.J. Watt career earnings
According to Spotrac, Watt has made $110.9 million in his eight-year career so far. With the $21.05 million he’s set to make in 2025, that number will jump to over $131.9 million after this season.
T.J. Watt stats
Watt has played his entire career for the Steelers. Here’s how his stats looked last year as well as his career totals through eight seasons:
2024
Tackles: 61
Tackles for a loss: 19
Sacks: 11.5
Forced fumbles: 6 (led the league)
Passes defensed: 4
Career
Tackles: 462
Tackles for a loss: 126
Sacks: 108
Forced fumbles: 33
Passes defensed: 49
Interceptions: 7
Watt won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021. He’s also on an active Pro Bowl streak of seven straight seasons and has earned four All-Pro nods in his eight-year career.