The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some quarterback inconsistencies over the last few seasons, which has held the team back overall. One area of the depth chart, however, that has been a reason why the organization has been able to consistently remain in the playoff conversation is edge rusher. Anyone who follows professional football knows the name TJ Watt. The 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year has been a nightmare for opposing offense's to guard since he arrived in the league back in 2017. Many have always expected that he would be in the black and golf for the entirety of his NFL career.
As the 2025 offseason continues to progress, Watt is certain to receive some kind of offer from the Steelers in regards to a new contract. The defender deserves to get paid once again, but no one is quite sure how much Pittsburgh is willing to dedicate to the 30-year-old, especially after the Cleveland Browns decided to give Myles Garrett $40 million per year on average. Watt may not want that much, but he surely will be looking to get paid yet again.
Players use social media for all kinds of reasons, like Garrett did when he initially announced that he requested a trade out of Cleveland. Some will post pictures of themselves just because it's what platforms like Instagram are for, but others occasionally will send underlying messages.
Steelers reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Brian Batko, posted something on X on Wednesday afternoon that has some heads turning.
This picture of Watt holding up a peace sign that he posted to his own Instagram account could be nothing. Some members of the fan base, however, will look at it as him potentially preparing to say goodbye. The ludicrous idea of the edge rusher being traded has been thrown around, but if he and Pittsburgh's front office are nowhere close when it comes to contract numbers, could a trade be coming?
Steelers' Defense Would Get Significantly Worse With Watt Out Of The Lineup In 2025 And Beyond
No one in the Steel City wants to see Watt go play for another team. He has been a staple of the defense since he was selected with the 30th overall pick and has arguably been better than Garrett, who was picked 1st overall in the same draft. It may seem like a tough financial decision to pay him $35 million or more when he's already over the age of 30, but he has not shown any signs of slowing down.
Pittsburgh has also been atrocious when Watt hasn't played over the course of his career. The numbers show that the team is much more efficient and wins more frequently when the future Hall of Famer is healthy and in the lineup.
Trading Watt would mean the team is excited for a duo of Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, but continuing to have Watt in that conversation makes the trio absolutely lethal. Watt's post could mean nothing at all, but it's hard not to pay attention to an image like that. He recently posted one of him walking off the field in a Steelers jersey, too. There's no doubt that this activity is starting to grab people's attention.
