TJ Watt Trade
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TJ Watt Trade
A recent pitch proposing a New England Patriots trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for linebacker TJ Watt has been circulating for days now. As the rumor mill continues to spin on a potential trade, a Steelers insider has all but shut the door on the possibility.
Jarrett Bailey of Behind The Steel Curtain reported on July 4 that the potential Patriots trade for TJ Watt is not going to happen. “So, let’s get this out of the way. The Steelers aren’t trading T.J. Watt,” Bailey explained. “If they were going to trade Watt, they would have done it at the start of the new league year for a nice package of draft picks.”
He also reiterated that the Steelers putting in the effort to sign Aaron Rodgers and trade for Jalen Ramsey, and DK Metcalf, “are not moves a team makes if they plan on trading their best player to the Patriots less than three weeks before training camp.
NFL personality Rich Eisen also threw cold water on the possibility of the Steelers trading Watt before the start of the 2025 NFL season. “I would be stunned, he said.” Eisen also backed up the claims that the Steelers have revamped their roster and want to keep Watt. However, an ongoing contract dispute between the two parties is the only thing keeping a potential Patriots trade alive.
TJ Watt Trade
GettyT.J. Watt wants to be the “highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL,” which has stalled contract negotiations.
Why a Patriots Trade for TJ Watt is Extremely Unlikely
In his article, Bailey declared a “close to zero percent chance” the Patriots will trade for Watt. The original trade pitch for Watt had the Patriots sending Jabrill Peppers, a 2026 second-round draft pick, and a 2027 third-rounder to the Steelers. The Steelers-Patriots trade pitch lacking a first-round pick has been heavily scrutinized, especially with multiple teams hoping to acquire him.
Another complicated factor is the $61 million left in the Patriots’ salary cap. Since they are one of the few teams that could afford TJ Watt outright, that may be an opening for the trade. However, the trade ultimately does not benefit either team.
As mentioned, NFL insiders claim that the Steelers want to make the playoffs. It does not make sense to trade Watt if that’s the case. On the other side, the Patriots are just hoping to improve. It would be an all-time turnaround to win the Super Bowl after back-to-back four-win seasons.
TJ Watt isn’t a “missing piece” for New England. It’s illogical for the Patriots to trade for Watt on a contract year with no guarantee he’d resign a long-term contract extension, which is already a big problem in Pittsburgh.
TJ Watt Trade
GettyT.J. Watt wants to be the “highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL,” which has stalled contract negotiations.
Passive-Aggressive Contract Negotiations Continue for Watt
The Steelers-Patriots trade rumors have only come out of the noise surrounding the contract negotiations between Watt and the Steelers. The two parties are currently working on a contract extension, which has turned passive-aggressive.
According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, the holdup on a new contract is how much money Watt is asking for and how many years the Steelers are willing to guarantee. “There have been examples of some of the league’s best edge rushers seeing their production drop once they hit the age of 30,” Dulac explained.
Even if the Patriots were able to acquire T.J. Watt, would the juice be worth the squeeze? The Steelers are asking themselves the same question. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler provided an update on Sunday, saying the devil is in the details. “These are complicated deals to do, but we are working on it. We want T.J. Watt here.”
Fowler also reiterated that there isn’t a lot of traction in the Steelers organization to trade Watt at the moment. While we are all keeping our eyes on the possibility, it seems more and more likely that Watt will remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Patriots hope to acquire TJ Watt, they might have better luck in the offseason if he plays out his current contract.