The Pittsburgh Steelers are facing the possibility of significant changes this offseason, as the team has not won a playoff game in eight years and ended the 2024 season on a five-game losing streak, capped by a humiliating road playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round.
While few players on the Steelers’ roster are considered untouchable, edge rusher T.J. Watt stands out as someone the team would be unwise to trade. At 30 years old, Watt has been one of the best players in football since entering the league in 2017 and is the face of the franchise.
Although it’s highly unlikely that the Steelers will move the seven-time Pro Bowler this offseason, The Wright Way Sports Network suggested a blockbuster trade involving Watt going to the Detroit Lions.
In this hypothetical scenario, the trade would send Watt and Pittsburgh’s 2025 fourth-round pick to Detroit in exchange for edge rusher Za’Darius Smith, Detroit’s 2025 first-round pick (No. 28 overall), and a 2025 second-round pick (No. 60 overall).
The situation in Pittsburgh is that Watt has yet to reach the AFC title game, and his patience is beginning to wear thin. The Lions, with a solid defense, are close to becoming Super Bowl contenders and need a game-changing player to put them over the top.
While trading away one of the top three pass rushers in the NFL would come at a steep cost for Pittsburgh, the return would be a defensive end in Smith, who is capable, along with draft picks that could help shape a younger and more competitive roster.
This trade might appear one-sided, favoring the Lions in acquiring a superstar. However, the Steelers would hope to use the draft picks to improve both their offense and defense, while also benefiting from Smith’s more affordable contract.
General manager Omar Khan should not hesitate to reject such a deal. Watt is a generational talent still in his prime, having led the league in sacks three times in the last five seasons. The former Wisconsin Badger should remain a Steeler for life unless an extraordinary offer comes through.
Though Smith is a solid player, he is 32 years old and not on Watt’s level. Moreover, the Lions’ 2025 draft picks do not present significant value, and their proposed trade package falls short of what it would take to land the 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year.
The Steelers must make significant changes this offseason, but trading Watt would be an absurd and incompetent decision by Khan. The veteran is on track to be one of the greatest defensive players of all time and remains the most valuable asset on Pittsburgh’s underperforming roster.
