Proposed Patriots trade sends Jabrill Peppers, NFL draft picks to Steelers for disgruntled superstar

Yahoo

03-07-2025

The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently in a contract dispute with T.J. Watt, as the superstar edge rusher is entering the final year of his deal in 2025 and is unhappy with his current contract situation.
Watt is seeking an extension from the team, but negotiations aren't going well, which caused him to skip mandatory minicamp in June. The 30-year-old's future with the Steelers has never been more uncertain, which has caused other teams to begin discussing the possibility of trading for Watt, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
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Though Pittsburgh has no intentions of moving its franchise cornerstone, Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski proposes a trade that would send Watt to the New England Patriots.
In return, the Steelers would receive safety Jabrill Peppers, a 2026 second-round draft pick, and a 2027 third-round pick.
Because the Patriots are still in transition, they can send veteran safety Jabrill Peppers back in return. They're unlikely to give up a future first-rounder, though. Pittsburgh still has DeShon Elliott and Juan Thornhill along the back line, but Peppers can be used as a defensive chess piece to help offset the loss of Minkah Fitzpatrick.
This would be a fantastic deal for the Patriots. The team's pass rush is pretty thin outside of Harold Landry, so adding Watt would upgrade the unit in a major way and put Mike Vrabel's squad in a position to compete for a playoff spot in 2025.
However, for the Steelers, this would be a subpar return for Watt. Though Peppers would be an adequate replacement for Minkah Fitzpatrick, who Pittsburgh traded to the Dolphins for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith, the 29-year-old played in just six games last year for New England and isn't a high-level starter.
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Additionally, the Steelers shouldn't entertain any trade talks surrounding Watt unless a first-round pick is involved. The seven-time Pro Bowler is too valuable a player to trade without receiving immense value back.
Overall, the most likely outcome is that Watt and Pittsburgh will eventually agree on an extension. However, if he does get traded, it's going to take a lot more than just an average starter and a pair of Day 2 picks to acquire Watt from the Steelers.
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