On Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers pulled off a blockbuster trade, sending edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Packers in exchange for first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027, along with defensive tackle Kenny Clark. A huge draft haul for Dallas and the Packers got one of the best defenders in the NFL, albeit at a massive price tag.
This got us thinking about the situation the Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves in earlier in the offseason. Edge defender T.J. Watt got himself a massive new contract extension with Pittsburgh worth $123.0 million with $108.0 million fully guaranteed at signing. At the time, it made Watt the highest-paid NFL player of all time who wasn’t a quarterback. The Parsons contract bumped him to No. 2.
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But what if the Steelers had decided to do what Dallas did and trade their best defensive player and land a massive return like this, including two first-round picks? Pittsburgh is a season away from a huge rebuild, including a new quarterback. Just imagine what the Steelers could do with a pair of first-round picks in the next two drafts.
Would the Steelers defense take a hit? Of course. But if you believe in Nick Herbig and the rest of the huge pieces the Steelers added on defense this offseason, it is a hypothetical you have to think about after the Parsons deal.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Micah Parsons trade gives Steelers a taste of what might have been with T.J. Watt