The momentum in Pittsburgh has taken a noticeable turn. What began as a push for a blockbuster contract extension for T.J. Watt has quietly morphed into something closer to trade talks. At this point, the writing feels almost etched into the walls of the Steelers’ facility—it just lacks an official stamp. Why? Because Andrew Fillipponi recently peeled back another layer of Watt’s simmering standoff. Rather than highlighting any looming deadline to get a deal done, Fillipponi revealed, “I had an agent tell me this is TJ’s way of requesting a trade.”
He elaborated, “Without asking for a trade. They want teams to make trade offers. Without the hoopla of making a formal trade request. Interesting theory.” In his view, Watt’s absence isn’t simply a negotiating tactic or an expression of frustration over the holdout—it’s something more deliberate. Instead of submitting a formal request and sparking headlines, Watt seems content to let his silence and skipped workouts serve as a billboard to the rest of the league.
The logic is straightforward: if he doesn’t show up, other teams will inevitably start circling, dialing the Steelers to explore whether the seven-time Pro Bowler might actually be pried loose. And maybe—just maybe, if Pittsburgh flirts with those calls, then the bigger question emerges: what would be the compensation of this possible trade? Well, Fillipponi believes that this trade just won’t include draft capital. The players are in the mix as well.
“I really think about that now, completely differently, after this player swap that they (Steelers) just did,” he explained, addressing Jalen Ramsey’s trade… “The Steelers have now just traded Minkah Fitzpatrick for Jalen Ramsey. I used to live in a world where it’s like, ‘alright, maybe a first-round pick is all you get back.’ But maybe there would be players involved.” Pittsburgh traded for Ramsey and sent their star safety to Miami.
And Fillipponi’s prediction considering the latest trade? Well, the insider predicted that the Eagles are in line to trade for Watt. And they might give up Nolan Smith, plus a late-round draft pick. “If the Eagles called up the Steelers and said, ‘We want TJ Watt, we’ll trade you Nolan Smith and a late round pick, I think they’d make that trade,” Fillipponi added. It’s a hypothetical trade scenario where you’re trading a young pass rusher and a late-round draft pick for a veteran defensive star.
Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh says Nolan Smith and a late round pick could land the Eagles T.J. Watt pic.twitter.com/oB3dBZOx1G
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) July 1, 2025
On paper, it sounds like a top-tier deal, hypothetically or not. But are the Eagles ready to give up their young star? Because if the last season has taught us anything, then Nolan Smith had a mature season in his second year with Philly. We’re talking about 42 tackles (plus 16 tackles in postseason), 6.5 sacks (plus 4.0 sacks in postseason), and a Super Bowl ring. With his third year almost here, he’ll play a more mature role in Philly.
Reuben Frank highlighted Smith’s talent, stating, “Out of 72 edge rushers who played at least 500 snaps last year, Smith’s 74.0 Pro Football Focus run defense grade ranked 13th, which is outstanding… How do you not love the constant intense effort both rushing the passer and playing the run?” So yeah, it’ll be a shock if the Eagles trade Nolan Smith ahead of his third season.
To spice things up, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, on the other hand, had a brief chat with the NFL GMs.
And as per his reports, “TJ Watt is worth a 1st round pick and a day 2 pick in a trade (probably more 3rd round than 2nd round pick).” Taken together, it’s safe to say that the dust around TJ’s contract extension has finally settled, only to spark trade talks. And the way things are unfolding, if the Steelers are to trade TJ, then the compensation will either be a top-round pick, along with a third-round pick, or the players will be in the mix as well.
Are the Steelers interested in trading T.J. Watt?
It all started when the Steelers acquired Jalen Ramsey in a blockbuster trade with the Dolphins. The trade includes Ramsey, along with Jonnu Smith and a 2027 seventh-round pick, in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Right after that went down, trade rumors around T.J. Watt started swirling, with Adam Schefter first reporting a trade possibility. But the Steelers never confirmed. Actually, they never confirmed anything related to Watt this year.
Enter Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Rapoport wasn’t on board with Schefter, as he reported that the Steelers have no intention of trading their veteran linebacker. In fact, Pittsburgh plans to sign Watt on a massive contract extension. When? That’ll remain a mystery for some time, until the Steelers eventually sign Watt or trade him.
October 28, 2024, Hookstown, Pennsylvania, USA: Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ WATT 90 smiles at his wife in the stands before the NFL, American Football Herren, USA football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Hookstown USA – ZUMAg257 20241028_zsp_g257_044 Copyright: xBrentxGudenschwagerx
The four-time first-team All-Pro had something of a down year last season. He had 11.5 sacks, 61 tackles (19 for loss), 27 quarterback hits, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four pass breakups in the 2024 season. TJ will now enter the final year of his contract, and no doubt that he’s seeking a contract extension, a massive one, to be precise. The folks out there are buzzing that if the Steelers are to sign him, it might cost them around $160 million—the same as what Cleveland gave Myles Garrett.
TJ Watt’s contract talks have been complicated the whole offseason. With trade talks now swirling as well, his future is still stuck in limbo. Contract extension? Or a trade? The odds are in favor of a trade at this point. But we’ll see.
The post Steelers Receive Major TJ Watt Trade Update as Eagles Rumors Intensify appeared first on EssentiallySports.
