The Pittsburgh Steelers made a big move on Monday that has some teams wondering if they might be persuaded to trade star pass rusher TJ Watt.
The Steelers acquired cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Miami Dolphins early Monday and took on the bulk of Ramsey’s $26.6 million salary in doing so. That move comes as the Steelers are trying to negotiate a new long-term contract with Watt, who is already owed over $21 million in the final year of his deal.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, other teams have begun to wonder whether they might be able to trade for Watt as those contract negotiations continue, and the Ramsey trade is likely to bolster more interest.
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
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network added that despite the Ramsey trade, the Steelers still have “no intention” of considering a Watt trade.
Watt and the Steelers have both said they want to get a deal done. The longer they go without achieving one, however, the more speculation will grow that a trade is possible. The conventional wisdom remains that the two sides will come to some sort of agreement, but other teams appear determined to test the Steelers’ resolve.
Watt turns 31 in October. He had 61 tackles and 11.5 sacks with 6 forced fumbles in 17 games last season. Garrett had 47 tackles, 14 sacks and 22 tackles for a loss in 17 games last season.
