The Pittsburgh Steelers have a ton of pressing questions surrounding the roster as the 2025 offseason continues. One of the most obvious concerns is at the quarterback position. If the season began today, the franchise would be relying on Mason Rudolph to start all 17 games, which is something the franchise needs to address in the near future. Another issue the Steelers will be dealing with is an extension for star outside linebacker, TJ Watt. Pittsburgh does not conduct contractual business in-season, and the organization usually comes to agreement on extensions in August.
Watt is getting ready to enter the final season of his contract as his deal expires at the conclusion of the 2025 season, and it will be a priority for Pittsburgh to get an extension done with the star defender. Other top players at the position were in line for extensions during the 2025 offseason, and the Steelers are already behind as other franchises have dolled out huge paydays to their pass rushers. General Manager Omar Khan spoke to the media on Monday and he was asked about Watt's future in Pittsburgh.
Watt has been a staple of the organization since being drafted back in 2017, and he has been one of the best defenders in the league since that time. It should be a no-brainer that he would receive whatever extension he wants, but he is 31-years old. When he is healthy, he can absolutely wreck a game, but he seemed to be a bit beat up near the end of the 2024 season, which caused his production to slow down.
The Steelers have not done themselves any favors when it comes to giving Watt a new extension. With a bunch of edge rushers being up for new contracts during the 2025 offseason, it should have been a priority to get a deal done as soon as possible. Now, the market has been inflated thanks to other players signing their new deals.
Both Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett signed new extensions with the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns, respectively. Garrett is currently the highest-paid defender in the league, but Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons is looking to take that title. The Steelers need to extend Watt before Parsons gets paid, especially if the organization wants to make Watt the highest-paid defender in the NFL. Pittsburgh waiting to extend Watt is only going to make matters worse.
Steelers' TJ Watt Has Been Included In Trade Rumors
It is extremely unlikely that Watt ever gets traded away from the Steelers as it seems like both sides want the player to be a one-helmet guy. However, Watt wants to win, and he hasn't been able to do that in Pittsburgh. The star has never won a playoff game throughout his career, and he is not getting any younger.
Pittsburgh could bring in a ton of draft compensation by dealing a player like Watt, and that could be useful as the team continues to search for a franchise quarterback and there is a growing need to get younger on defense. Without Watt, the Steelers would be starting Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig at outside linebacker, which would still be one of the best duos in the league.
No fan ideally wants to trade Watt, but the lack of urgency to get a new extension done seems a bit odd. As mentioned, Pittsburgh typically gets their deals done in the summer, but it would have been extremely beneficial to the organization to beat other teams when it came to signing edge rushers.
