Former Pittsburgh Steelers OLB James Harrison is a team legend and in the team’s Hall of Honor. But he didn’t spend his whole career with the Steelers, playing one season with the Cincinnati Bengals before returning to Pittsburgh, and he finished his career playing with the New England Patriots. With OLB T.J. Watt seeking a contract extension and he and the team still unable to agree to terms, Harrison thinks there’s at least a chance that Watt could be traded.
Appearing [on Up & Adams with Kay Adams on Thursday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq_Y4sMq5z0), Harrison explained why when asked by Adams if Watt could be playing somewhere else in 2025.
“It’s a business. I think that’s the thing that people gotta get used to, it’s a business. And if they don’t come to a business decision that’s good for him and good for them, he may be playing in another uniform. It’s not like it’s unfathomable,” Harrison said.
Given how the Steelers have built their roster for this season, it would be a pretty major surprise if they traded Watt. Acquiring veterans like Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay has helped the Steelers load up to try and make a run this season. Losing their most valuable defender would seemingly be the antithesis to the team’s plan, but they weren’t afraid to trade WR George Pickens nor include FS Minkah Fitzpatrick in the trade for Ramsey and Jonnu Smith.
All offseason, [the Steelers’ front office](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/steelers-want-t-j-watt-to-spend-entire-career-in-pittsburgh/) and coaching staff have affirmed their interest to keep Watt in Pittsburgh, and Watt likely doesn’t have much interest in leaving. But he does want his money, and he likely wants to be the highest-paid EDGE rusher in the league, surpassing Myles Garrett. The Steelers, up to this point, haven’t given Watt what he wants, and with the team reporting to training camp in six days, it’s an open question if Watt will attend.
It’s more likely than not that the two sides will eventually come to terms and Watt remains a Steeler in 2025 and beyond. But if negotiations reach a breaking point and the two sides decide it’s best to move on, the Steelers could look to move him. It would likely add to their treasure chest of 2026 draft picks, and they might also look to acquire another veteran as part of any deal.
It’s unlikely, but as Harrison said, it’s not unfathomable. Things between the two sides don’t seem bad enough yet that we’re at a point where it’s a real possibility, but the next few weeks until Week 1 will be extremely important to securing Watt’s future as a Steeler.