Analyst: Steelers LB T.J. Watt's 'No-Brainer' Landing Spot

With extension talks between the Pittsburgh Steelers and star edge rusher T.J. Watt at an impasse, there's some thought that the 30-year-old could be traded as he enters the final year of his current deal.

NFL analyst Rich Eisen cast doubt upon that notion on his self-titled "The Rich Eisen Show", however, voicing that he doesn't see a world in which Pittsburgh willingly moves on from Watt, considering everything he means to the city and the organization.

In a segment about where the Steelers linebacker's best landing spot was, titled "Rich Eisen on the No-Brainer Best Landing Spot for TJ Watt If the Steelers Trade Him," Eisen had an alternative answer.

“I can’t see that," he said. "I just don’t see it. It would be the silliest thing to do. Because of what he means to the team, what he means to the city, what he means to those fans, but again, most importantly, what he means to this team. They’re a different team on defense, they’re a different team period, when he’s not out there.”

Shortly after the Steelers pulled off a blockbuster move in which they acquired Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick this week, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that several teams were exploring the possibility of a trade for Watt.

The consensus at the moment is that Pittsburgh has zero interest in actually moving the former AP Defensive Player of the Year, though, nor should it. The team is in win-now mode after adding the likes of Ramsey, Smith, Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf and Darius Slay among others to the roster this offseason, and Watt still remains perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle.

“After you go and get Rodgers, after you go and trade for DK Metcalf and give him the richest contract in Steelers history at that position,” Eisen said. “You go and trade for Jalen Ramsey, who’s pretty damn expensive. You give him a million-and-a-half dollar raise. Welcome to the team. And you bring in Jonnu Smith and triple his salary. Here’s a $12 million deal, welcome to the team. You were only making $4 million, now you’re making $12 million. You go and get Darius Slay; you run it back with Cameron Heyward.

“You draft, not a quarterback in the first round, you draft a defensive tackle because that’s an area of need, you do all of this, to win now, and T.J. Watt is not going to walk because the Steelers tell him, ‘You’re done now.’"

The pass rusher market has exploded over recent months, evidenced by the fact that Myles Garrett secured a $40 million-per-year commitment from the Cleveland Browns, thus upping the ante for Pittsburgh as it looks to lock up Watt.

It's understandable for the organization to have some concerns about handing him a new contract that may top Garrett's in average annual value, but Watt still profiles as one of the best defensive players in the sport, as well as a franchise legend.

There's no telling when the situation will ultimately sort itself out, but it would come as a major surprise if Watt were playing for a different team in 2025 and beyond.