The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off a summer shakeup Monday by trading safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith. This is the latest major trade the team has made this offseason after previously acquiring wide receiver D.K. Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks and sending receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.
Though the Steelers have been active this offseason, don't expect them to trade star pass rusher T.J. Watt anytime soon. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday that multiple teams have been recently discussing the possibility of trading for Watt, and that interest will likely increase after the Steelers' trade for Ramsey and Smith.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero added that the Steelers still have no intention of trading Watt, and that their focus is still on signing him to a contract extension. Pelissero noted that with the Steelers' additions of Metcalf, Ramsey, and Aaron Rodgers, the team is "all-in" on 2025, and that plan includes Watt.
Watt is entering the final year of a four-year, $112 million deal he signed in 2021. The deal gave Watt an average of $28 million per year, but he is slated to earn $21.05 milion over the final year of his contract. This is almost half of what the NFL's highest-paid defensive player, Myles Garrett, is making. Garrett is currently earning $40 million per year after signing an extension in March, and the other highest-paid defensive players are making well over $30 million per year.
Watt was absent for mandatory minicamp as he pursues a new contract, but for now, it's more likely that an extension eventually gets done with the Steelers rather than Watt getting traded elsewhere.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steelers Holding Firm on T.J. Watt As Teams Show Increasing Interest in Trade.
