People tossed around a lot of names as potential trade targets for the Green Bay Packers this offseason:<\/p>\n
D.K. Metcalf<\/a>. George Pickens<\/a>. Christian Kirk<\/a>. Jalen Ramsey<\/a>.<\/p>\n The list stretches further than that. While all are \u2014 or were \u2014 solid ideas on paper, none would have T.J. Watt<\/a>\u2018s impact if the Packers signed him.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the Super Bowl-winning move for Green Bay.<\/p>\n Watt continues to hold out<\/a> after skipping the Pittsburgh Steelers\u2019 minicamp. After trading for<\/a> cornerback Jalen Ramsey<\/a> on Monday, the money got a little tighter<\/a> for the Steelers.<\/p>\n Watt is entering the final year of his deal, and ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter reported<\/a> that multiple teams have discussed what it could take to pry him away from Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n With a roster that has added Ramsey, along with cornerback Darius Slay<\/a> and quarterback Aaron Rodgers<\/a> this offseason, Pittsburgh must keep Watt in the fold. The Steelers have constructed a roster trying to capitalize now, and a 31-year-old Watt playing some of the best ball of his career should be part of the equation.<\/p>\n However, for one reason or another, the two sides aren\u2019t exactly seeing eye to eye. That\u2019s opened the door for trade speculation.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s revisit what Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said in January<\/a>, shortly after the Philadelphia Eagles pulled the curtains down on Green Bay\u2019s season.<\/p>\n I think, for me, the thing that\u2019s been on my mind as we\u2019ve concluded this season is we need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency. These opportunities don\u2019t come (very often). The life of a player in the National Football League is not very long. We\u2019ve got a bunch of good guys in that locker room, got a bunch of talented guys in that locker room, and yeah, I think it\u2019s time that we start competing for championships, right?<\/p>\n The names suggested as trade candidates for Green Bay this offseason were fine, but none would take the Packers to the heights that Watt could.<\/p>\n Talk to anyone on Green Bay\u2019s staff or in the front office, and they\u2019ll sound optimistic about the edge rushers this year. Gutekunst expects<\/a> a \u201cbig jump\u201d from Lukas Van Ness<\/a>.\u00a0Rashan Gary<\/a> got better and more comfortable in Jeff Hafley\u2019s system as last season went along. Rookie reinforcements Barryn Sorrell<\/a> and Collin Oliver<\/a> should add depth alongside\u00a0Kingsley Enagbare<\/a> and Brenton Cox<\/a> Jr.<\/p>\n All of that sounds nice, but ask any group of Packer fans what position groups they\u2019re most concerned about in 2025, and edge rusher will be near the top of everyone\u2019s list.<\/p>\n Last year, the Packers experienced multiple droughts during which they struggled to muster consistent pressure \u2014 or sometimes any pressure \u2014 on the opposing quarterback. Green Bay had 45 sacks in 2024, but 15 of them came in two games against the woeful Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks offensive lines. Meanwhile, Watt is a one-man wrecking crew with a proven track record.<\/p>\n Metcalf would\u2019ve been fun.\u00a0Ramsey would\u2019ve provided stability in the cornerback room.\u00a0Watt makes you a legitimate Super Bowl threat.<\/p>\n The Eagles chewed up and spit out the Kansas City Chiefs to claim the Super Bowl in February, mainly due to their pass rush. Green Bay has a lot of hope and faith that certain players will take their game to the next level, but uncertainty lingers. Hope and faith are nice, but Watt would be a sure thing. He\u2019s a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year who\u2019s been an All-Pro member on the first team in four of the last six years.<\/p>\n It would feel like an embellishment to suggest that one player could take the Packers from \u201cshould be a playoff team\u201d to \u201cpotential favorite in the NFC,\u201d but Watt is all of that and then some. He\u2019s arguably the most impactful defensive player in the league and just so happens to play a position vital to shoring up Green Bay\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n The cost won\u2019t be cheap. In all likelihood, the Steelers and Watt squash their beef and find common ground on a new extension that may exceed what the Cleveland Browns gave<\/a> Myles Garrett<\/a> earlier this offseason. That\u2019s how these things typically unfold.<\/p>\n If Gutekunst wants to live up to his word, he must pick up the phone to inquire about a T.J. Watt trade. It would cost a pretty penny in both draft and actual capital. However, that\u2019s the kind of sacrifice you must make to beat the best of the best.<\/p>\n