The Pittsburgh Steelers added a handful of new players during the offseason. However, their biggest piece of business was signing T.J. Watt to a contract extension. The Steelers gave Watt a massive deal, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. While Watt had a down season last year, he was still great, and he’s earned that money. Despite that, former Steelers running back Rocky Bleier isn’t sure that the team made the right decision in extending Watt.
“He’s in his ninth season. And he’s a wonderful player and he’s an impactful player and he’s made a difference on that defense,” Bleier said recently on The Irish NFL Show. “But he’s not the defense. He’s not gonna get you to the Super Bowl. He’s at a [point] when, you hate to do it, but maybe you should’ve traded him, and get value for him, get some people coming, whatever the choices are at the time.”
Bleier’s point is that it takes more than one player to build a successful team. He’s correct, but trading Watt wouldn’t have made the Steelers better for multiple reasons.
First, this offseason wouldn’t have been the best time to trade Watt. Previously, he only had one year left on his contract. Therefore, any team that acquired him would’ve had to give him a huge contract extension or risk losing him after only one season.
Also, Watt’s coming off a cold streak. He didn’t record a sack over the Steelers’ final three games of the regular season. Watt finished the year with 11.5 sacks, his lowest total in a healthy season since his rookie year. That would’ve hurt his trade value too.
Had the Steelers traded Watt, what would have been an acceptable return? It was unlikely that the Steelers would’ve received a package that would’ve been as impactful as Watt. Yes, he’s not the whole defense, but he’s an important part of that unit. He receives a lot of attention from opposing offenses, providing opportunities for other players on the Steelers’ defense.
The Steelers want to win a Super Bowl this year. Trading Watt would not have gotten them closer to that goal. While Watt turns 31 in October and didn’t have his best year in 2024, he was still one of the best pass rushers in the league. Maybe time will prove Bleier correct, but keeping Watt feels like the right decision.