The Pittsburgh Steelers have a ton of questions to address ahead of the 2025 season, especially the future of superstar edge rusher T.J. Watt.
Watt is seeking an extension from Pittsburgh, and though Pittsburgh has made a lucrative offer to him, the seven-time Pro Bowler has yet to sign it. With Watt set to hit free agency next offseason and extension talks stalling, his future in the Steel City is incredibly uncertain.
The Steelers would be foolish to trade Watt right now, even though negotiations don’t seem to be in a great place. However, NFL Spin Zone’s Lou Scataglia believes the Los Angeles Rams should call Pittsburgh and see if they can pull off a trade for the All-Pro defender.
The Los Angeles Rams are no strangers to making major trades, and while this team has kind of flipped their roster-building more toward drafting and developing, there is still a path for this team to part with draft capital. The Rams are a contender and could get that much more explosive along their defensive line with this move.
The Rams have been a consistent playoff team under Sean McVay, but the team hasn’t been able to put together a consistent postseason run since winning the Super Bowl in 2021.
One of the major strengths on Los Angeles’ roster is the pass rush, as Jared Verse is coming off a Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign, and the Rams have capable pass rushers all over the defensive line, including Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner, and Byron Young. However, general manager Les Snead could take the unit to the next level by trading for Watt.
If Watt joined the unit, Los Angeles would boast the most dominant pass rush in football by a wide margin. The 30-year-old has tallied the most sacks in football since 2017, the year he entered the league.
Trading for Watt won’t be cheap, as the Rams will likely have to give up a first-round pick and more to acquire him from Pittsburgh. He will also need a new contract, and that deal will have to be worth more than $40 million annually and likely include a record-setting amount of guaranteed money. Cleveland Browns superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett recently signed an extension with $123 million in guarantees, so Watt is likely looking to surpass that number in his next contract.
Though Los Angeles may want to keep their picks and save resources for the post-Matthew Stafford era, they should look to go all-in and try to trade for Watt. It’s hard to see a scenario where he isn’t with the Steelers in 2025 and for the long term, but crazier things have happened.
