Steelers' TJ Watt Could Raise A Surprising New Concern About Possibly Playing Out 2025

The Pittsburgh Steelers' recent loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round has created more questions than answers. Much of the fan base is frustrated and demands Head Coach Mike Tomlin be fired or traded, and quite a few want the whole slate wiped clean. They believe the solution to getting the team back to winning Super Bowls is trading away all the tradeable assets. They want to start fresh and draft a whole new team. That makes one of the questions being asked: who should they trade, and who should they keep? 

Pittsburgh has a huge list of free agents entering the 2025 offseason, and Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show told the Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan that he believes quite a few of them will be gone, creating a lot of holes. Among the players he doesn’t think will return are Najee Harris, James Daniels, Dan Moore Jr., and one of the two quarterbacks, Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. He also says they will choose to let most, if not all, of the defensive free agents go, including Donte Jackson, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Cameron Sutton, and Damontae Kazee. 

Once you pare down that list, it leaves a lot of gaps, and finding solid talent is always a gamble. It's why the Steelers prefer to go with players they know, as they did by bringing Sutton back. Will they risk trading their most considerable talents like T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, or Alex Highsmith, knowing their defense will likely already lack guys who can pass along the Steeler way? Kaboly doesn’t think so. He also doesn’t believe Watt will choose to leave, but he does have worries. 

“I worry about T.J. just playing out,” said Kaboly. “Just getting totally flustered. There is absolutely no way he would ask for a trade, demand a trade - nothing like that. I think that he would, if that’s what he decides, he just wants to win; he doesn’t want to be known as the guy who has never won a playoff game. He lets it play out.”

Kaboly said that he also believes Fitzpatrick will return in 2025. Fitzpatrick, Watt, and Highsmith are all under contract, each signing extensions to their rookie deals. Fitzpatrick’s carries him through 2026, Watt’s through the 2025 season, and Highsmith’s through 2027.

It will be interesting to watch this process unfold over the offseason. There is no doubt that they must sign talent to the offense. They need at least one quality wide receiver and a running back to replace Harris. However, the talent on their highly paid defense was not as substantial as expected, and they will have to fix some of those weak areas. 

Steelers' George Pickens' Status For 2025 Is Not An Easy Decision  

There is no disputing the amount of talent that wide receiver George Pickens possesses. He regularly reels in contested catches that are highlight-reel-worthy. The issue hasn't been his ability; it's been his attitude, which doesn’t seem to improve and is a constant source of frustration. 

Kaboly thinks the Steelers have a significant decision to make. Pickens is entering a contract year in 2025. They can choose to extend his rookie contract for a fifth year or not. If they decide not to extend him, like they did with Harris, Kaboly believes they will have a problem on their hands. They must either choose to keep him beyond 2025 or let him go. He will struggle to maintain his composure if he knows his future is uncertain. 

He added that this decision doesn't necessarily have to be made immediately. The team can look for a quality veteran receiver during the offseason and then draft one to join him. They should hopefully get a healthy Roman Wilson back, along with Calvin Austin III. If they find talent, they can trade Pickens then.   

Do you think Watt will ask to be traded? Click to comment below. 

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