Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Gives Honest Opinion On TJ Watt's Contract Situation

Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker, TJ Watt recently ignited speculation online with a cryptic Instagram post. Some took it as a sign that Watt could leave Pittsburgh in 2025. Although Watt has been silent on the trade rumors, it hasn't kept people from wondering what Watt's fate in Pittsburgh will be. Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger gave his take on whether or not the Steelers should put in the effort to keep Watt.

On Tuesday, when talking on his podcast Footbahlin about the Steelers' quarterback situation, Roethlisberger mentioned a hypothetical trade that had been proposed between the San Francisco 49ers and the Steelers. In this scenario, the quarterback-hungry Steelers would land Brock Purdy, and the 49ers would get Watt. It's a far-fetched idea, but it provokes an interesting question: could the Steelers decide that a bigger contract for Watt isn't worth the trouble, and the linebacker could be trade fodder to resolve Pittsburgh's other issues? 

One of the reasons that has been tossed around as to why Watt himself may want to leave is that the Steelers don't have a promising starting quarterback lined up for the upcoming season. When asked if the Steelers should be open to trading Watt, Roethlisberger had a blunt response. 

"Yeah, I don't think that should happen, you've got to get a quarterback," said Roethlisberger. "I don't think you get rid of TJ by any stretch of the imagination."

The Steelers' quarterback situation is starting to get ugly. It's not a good look to be a franchise frantically chasing veterans like Aaron Rodgers in free agency. Now it seems that the situation is starting to bleed into other areas of the Steelers roster and hurting morale. 

If Watt's main grudge with the Steelers right now is that Pittsburgh doesn't have a reliable starting quarterback, it's hard to blame him. While the Steelers were seemingly willing to wait patiently for Rodgers to make a decision, the wait could be costing them in ways the team didn't predict.

Quarterback drama aside, contract issues have been cited as a major reason the Watt may want out of Pittsburgh. Since the star defensive lineman Myles Garrett got a contract extension with the Steelers' divisional rivals, the Cleveland Browns, he became the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. The Garrett deal may have raised the bar for what defensive players are asking for. 

If Watt is asking for a Garrett-sized contract, the Steelers may decide they can no longer afford the linebacker, and that the most value they could get from him is in a trade. It's possible that the Steelers didn't predict Watt would be a problem going into 2025, and now that there are seemingly issues, the team is scrambling for a solution. If the Steelers do lose Watt, it may be bad news for the team's already struggling defense.

While the Steelers' quarterback dilemma has caught much of the media's attention, the team's other problems are just as pressing of an issue. The Steelers' defensive line is considered the team's other large issue. Losing Watt would be a massive blow to Pittsburgh's already weakened front seven.

Steelers Still Have Several Missing Pieces

The Steelers have spent much of their offseason so far bolstering their offense, with additions like star wide receiver DK Metcalf. With such heavy investments in the offense, the Steelers will need a high-caliber quarterback to tie it all together. Until the quarterback situation is dealt with, everything else will likely remain secondary. Although the scenario in which the Steelers land Purdy is a longshot, it could hint at a larger idea: if Watt is not extended by the Steelers, he could be used to try and land the Steelers a new signal-caller.

Do you think that Watt will still be a Pittsburgh Steeler in the 2025 season? Do you think the Steelers should do whatever it takes  to keep the linebacker? Let us know in the comments below.

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