T.J. Watt remains a popular Packers dream, but several obstacles make it increasingly unrealistic despite roster concerns at edge defender
Green Bay fans have a long connection with wanting Watt around, but now it’s too late to make that a reality.
How many times have you seen people talking about the 2017 draft, and the infamous decision from Ted Thompson? He decided to trade out of the first round, passing on T.J. Watt, to eventually select cornerback Kevin King. T. J. Watt is from Pewaukee, played college football at Wisconsin, and became one of the best edge rushers of his generation.
Now, almost a full decade later, the possibility of acquiring T.J. appeared again. Now, though, it’s just too late.
Why Watt doesn’t make sense for the Packers
The primary trade target for the Packers would be Josh Sweat, who has a strong connection with defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and wants out of the Arizona Cardinals. When Ian Rapoport reported that Sweat won’t get traded now, some people on social media immediately moved their attention to Watt.
In fact, the Pittsburgh Steelers could reasonably want to move on from their star edge defender. But it’s not the type of player the Packers should pursue.
Combination of factors
Philosophically, the Packers don’t like to trade picks for veterans. Unless it’s a generational player like Micah Parsons, general manager Brian Gutekunst thinks that giving a cost-controlled asset for a more expensive piece is too risky. In Watt’s specific case, that’s the reality.
He’s already 31 years old. And despite making the Pro Bowl last year, he showed obvious signs of regression. He generated 46 pressures last year, the first season in which he played more than 700 snaps and had fewer than 50 pressures in his NFL career.
Don’t get me wrong, Watt is still a good, productive player. But we don’t know for how longer, and the salary cost is prohibitive.
The Steelers gave him a new huge contract extension last season, and it hasn’t aged well. He’s set to make $32 million in 2026, $32 million in 2027, and $36.05 million in 2028. To make things more complicated, the 2026 and 2027 earnings are fully guaranteed.
Also, the Packers would have to make a significant investment in terms of draft capital. The Steelers wouldn’t just give Watt up for nothing. Even if the deal doesn’t involve a future first, trading away high picks after the Packers already traded two firsts for Micah Parsons isn’t an optimal roster-building approach.
The combination of age, trade compensation, contract, and performance trajectory is scary. Sometimes, the best trades are the ones you don’t make.