A massive trade sent shockwaves through the NFL on an otherwise quiet Thursday evening. The Dallas Cowboys agreed to send Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. It was a shocking move given Parsons’ talent and age. However, he and the Cowboys couldn’t come to terms on a contract extension after Parsons had been holding in all offseason. Coincidentally, the Steelers had their own situation with a star edge rusher this offseason in T.J. Watt.
Watt, like Parsons, was a top edge rusher looking for an extension. Fortunately for the Steelers, they never reached the point in which they considered trading Watt. Even if they did, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo doesn’t think they would have accepted the same offer the Cowboys did.
“I don’t know if it ever got to that,” Fittipaldo said on 93.7 The Fan on Friday. “I don’t think the Steelers would have, I mean the Steelers, I suppose the Cowboys too, but the Steelers are in this win-now window. They want to win for T.J. and Cam [Heyward], you know. Guys who are over 30 years old. Who have been a part of some good teams, but just haven’t been able to get over the hump in the postseason.”
The total price Green Bay paid for Watt was DT Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. It’s not as big of a price as some may have expected. But part of that is because they also had to pay his massive extension, one that tops Watt’s by quite a bit.
For Watt, the return almost certainly would have been smaller. He’s well older than Parsons and would also have had to receive an extension from a new team. Getting two first-round picks and a quality defensive tackle actually might have been a hefty return for Watt, given the circumstances.
However, the Steelers wouldn’t have paid that any mind, according to Fittipaldo. They are stockpiling 2026 draft picks. But the moves they’ve made this offseason clearly point to a desire to win now. Trading Watt would really hurt their efforts to do so, no matter the return.
T.J. Watt won’t be going anywhere for quite a while. Now, after an eventful offseason, the Steelers can sit back and watch other teams find themselves in the headlines for a change.
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