It is the deep offseason, which means that fans are hungry for any morsel of news to latch on to. Consider me your Chef de Cuisine today, and T.J. Watt rumors as your meal.
Are they empty calories? Very likely.
Are they fun and delicious? Yes, they are.
So, in case you haven’t heard, Adam Schefter reported on Monday that “multiple teams have been discussing whether they can trade for Steelers’ standout T.J. Watt, who skipped the team’s most recent minicamp.”
Sources: In recent weeks, multiple teams have been discussing whether they can trade for Steelers’ standout T.J. Watt, who skipped the team’s most recent minicamp. Pittsburgh hasn’t shown any willingness to deal Watt so far, but he’s unhappy with his contractual situation and… pic.twitter.com/iBh1DJr4uD
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 30, 2025
This is very intriguing news for a few reasons. The first of which is that TJ Watt is Elite with a capital E. In 8 seasons, Watt has accumulated 108 sacks, 126 TFLs, 33 FFs, and 5 1st Team All-Pros. He has more sacks, TFLs, and FFs than Myles Garrett during that same time – ELITE!
Second reason why this is intriguing is because there is a distinct need for pass-rushers in the NFC North. The Lions have a recovering Aidan Hutchison and not a whole lot opposite him. The Packers have Rashan Gary and an underperforming Lukas Van Ness. The Bears have Montez Sweat and a lot of young question marks. While the Vikings were still among the best in the league in pressuring the quarterback, they have not had a true #1 pass-rusher since Hunter left for Houston.
So, at the very first blush, the Chicago Bears should be very interested in trading for a player like T.J. Watt. He’s an elite player who has remained relatively durable, which would elevate the Bears’ defense to elite status.
However, there is always a price with these types of things. So let’s look into some returns from some comparable trades.
2009: Patriots trade Richard Seymour to the Raiders for 2011 1st Round Pick. Seymour was the same age as Watt at the time of this trade (30) but only had 43 sacks to his name at the time of the trade.
2008: Chiefs trade Jared Allen and a 6th Round Pick to the Vikings for 17th Overall Pick, two 3rd-round picks, and a 6th-round pick. Jared Allen was a rising star in the league having racked up 43 sacks and 14 FFs in his first four seasons.
2018: Raiders trade Khalil Mack, a 2nd-Round Pick, and conditional 5th-Round pick to Bears for two 1st-Round Picks, a 3rd-Round Pick, and a 6th Round Pick. This is obviously the trade that Bears fans will cite anytime a trade for a big pass-rusher is involved. At the time of the trade, Mack had racked up 40.5 sacks across 4 seasons.
2021: Broncos trade Von Miller to Rams for a 2nd-Round and 3rd-Round pick. This trade happened mid-season, after Miller proved he had recovered from an ankle injury. At the time of the trade, Miller (32) had notched 110.5 sacks across 9.5 seasons.
So, what does a trade for T.J. Watt look like? I think it sits somewhere between the return for Mack and Miller, given his age and production. So I think he would cost a team a 1st round, 2nd round, and late-round pick for the Steelers to even consider it.
Would you trade for T.J. Watt if the cost was a 1st-round, 2nd-round, and 6th-round pick in 2026?
I personally think he’s worth that price. While many look at the Mack trade in retrospect as not being worth it, I see it as the best chance we had to win a championship in nearly 15 years. The 2018 Bears lacked the coaching, QB play, and overall offensive roster building that this current team does – so the addition of an elite pass-rusher opposite Montez Sweat could really catapult the Bears into contention.
There is an interesting history of 2nd year quarterbacks making the Super Bowl (and sometimes winning it). Joe Burrow made the Super Bowl in his 2nd season. Brock Purdy did too. Russel Wilson won a Super Bowl in his 2nd season. So did Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. Heck, Patrick Mahomes won a Super Bowl in his 2nd season as a starter.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The point is, maximizing the window where your quarterback is young and cheap, but also has some NFL experience is narrow. I think Caleb Williams has all of the ingredients to put it together in Year 2, and T.J. Watt wreaking havoc on defense could be enough for the Bears to contend for a Super Bowl.
Good grief, am I hungry!
Now it’s your turn – would you trade the farm for T.J. Watt? Sound off in the comments!