Dec 7, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) celebrates a tackle during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

Seahawks should now have 2 superstar pass rushers on their trade radar

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Connor Benintendi | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Although the Seattle Seahawks have one of the deepest pass-rushing groups in the NFL, it lacks a superstar talent — at least with the current stage each player is at in their careers. DeMarcus Lawrence is still productive, but at the back-end of his career, Boye Mafe and Derick Hall are still rising talents and Uchenna Nwosu has been good when he's sparingly healthy.

However, in addition to Cincinnati's Trey Hendrickson, the Seahawks should now be looking at another superstar edge rusher who is unhappy with his current contract and could be being actively shopped around the league. According to Sportsnaut's Andrew Buller-Russ , 93.7 The Fan radio host Mark Kaboly stated the Steelers are "obviously inquiring to see what that might be" in reference to the return the franchise could get in a trade of T.J. Watt.

Watt wants a new contract ahead of his ninth NFL season. He is entering the final year of a four-year, $112 million deal that he signed with Pittsburgh ahead of the 2021 season, and will be 31 years old by the end of the 2025 campaign. The Steelers have the fifth-least cap space this season ($14.6 million), per Over The Cap, but currently have the fourth-most available room in 2026 at $84.5 million.

Put simply, Pittsburgh has the room to get Watt a new deal, but they haven't done it yet. They might want to move on from Watt as he is on the north side of 30, but that still seems unlikely for a team that just signed a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers and clearly is in win-now mode.

If the Steelers do begin shopping Watt, the Seahawks should absolutely inquire about the price tag. Seattle has the cap space to make a big move ($30.65 million in cap space in 2025 and $55.89 million in 2026) and could easily have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL by acquiring either Watt or Hendrickson. It would also allow them to rely less on Nwosu, who hasn't been able to stay healthy since his first season with the Seahawks.

It's almost the time of year where blockbuster trades emerge. Every season, training camp brings the disgruntled stars out in full force as they look for new contracts. With Watt potentially joining that group, the Seahawks should be in the market to add a defense-altering talent.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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