As the second session of voluntary Organized Team Activities are underway for the Pittsburgh Steelers and star pass rusher T.J. Watt is absent once again, the noise regarding his contract situation — and his possible future with the Steelers — is getting louder and louder.
For FS1’s Jason McIntyre, he wouldn’t even entertain the thought of paying Watt. Instead, he’d trade him and reset the franchise if he could.
Appearing on “The Herd” with replacement host Alex Curry Tuesday afternoon, McIntyre reiterated a take he had earlier in the offseason, stating he’d trade Watt and tank in 2025 if he were in charge of the Steelers. McIntyre dove into his thoughts on Watt after Curry stated the Steelers should give Watt whatever he wants because he’s still a great player.
“Wait, give the guy what he wants? He’s like 30, 31 years old. Isn’t that risky? A lot of tread on those tires,” McIntyre said of Watt, according to audio via The Herd.
Watt is set to enter his age-31 season, and despite being on the wrong side of 30 years old, he remains a great player — one of the best EDGE defenders in the NFL, period.
That said, he is coming off a tough year by his standards, generating just 11.5 sacks and 53 pressures, numbers well below his norm. He was slowed by an ankle injury and a thumb injury late in the season, which could have impacted his performance. But despite the low numbers, he still led the NFL in forced fumbles (six) and was a player teams had to scheme against week after week, resulting in a high number of chips and double teams.
There is a lot of tread on his tires, too, Watt having played 6,573 snaps in his career. But he’s showing no signs of slowing down and remains a force.
The Steelers aren’t interested in even entertaining him playing anywhere else, either. According to longtime reporter Mark Kaboly, the Steelers have an offer on the table for Watt, but it’s not quite where the future Hall of Famer wants it to be, as far as guaranteed money goes.
That’s part of the give and take in negotiations, though, and the belief remains that the Steelers and Watt will get something done this summer, keeping Watt in the Black and Gold for presumably the rest of his career.
But McIntyre doesn’t want to hear any of it.
“He’s had a great career, but I’m giving the contract looking forward, and I said I would’ve traded him,” McIntyre said. “I mean, they haven’t had a playoff win with T.J. Watt, I don’t think. And it’s like, what are we paying for?”
What the Steelers would — and will be — paying for is an elite player at a premium position. Yes, Watt’s getting older, but he remains a dominant force. The Steelers need to move him around a bit more in 2025 and beyond to hunt more favorable matchups along the front, but there’s no denying Watt’s abilities and impact on the game.
That’s what the Steelers will be paying for. Even if they were to trade him right now, it’s not like they’d be getting a haul for a 30-year-old pass rusher with one year left on his deal. You’d think McIntyre would understand that, but alas, here we are again with him pushing another silly take.
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