After making their divorce from Bryce Huff official, the Philadelphia Eagles are in the market for an EDGE rusher.1
It’s no wonder, then, that the reigning Super Bowl champions are among the betting odds leaders to acquire T.J. Watt via a blockbuster trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Watt remains in a contract extension standoff with Pittsburgh, and was not in attendance for the Steelers’ mandatory minicamp. While these situations tend to get resolved between the superstar player and his team rather quickly — see the Browns’ Myles Garrett as a recent example — it’s never ideal when your singular best player isn’t present for spring workouts, especially for a Steelers team that’s made some major roster changes this year.
The Eagles not only have a glaring need at EDGE rusher, but have a mother-load of 2026 draft capital and ample amounts of cap space. That’s enough for BetOnline to rank Philly as the most likely landing spot for Watt if he leaves the Steelers, placing their odds at +300. The 49ers (+400), Lions (+600) and Patriots (+700) are next in line.
This is Howie Roseman we’re talking about here, so anything is possible.
But we wouldn’t go rushing to get those virtual bet slips in just yet.
While Watt is a transformative talent and arguably the top game-wrecking pass rusher in the NFL, you’re not only trading premium draft capital for the superstar player, you’re trading for his entire situation. Watt wants a new contract. His asking price will be astronomical given the $40-million-per-year deal Garrett just signed with Cleveland. Any team who seriously inquires about Watt’s availability would also be working with his representation on a new mega extension. That’s how the hold-out game works in the NFL.
So while Watt would fit perfectly into this 2025 version of the Eagles and put them immediately in the driver’s seat toward a Super Bowl repeat, what would a Watt deal mean for Jalen Carter’s pending mega extension in 2026? What about rising stars Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean further down the line?
The only way to explain Philly’s approach to the 2025 offseason so far is that they’re planning to pay their young stars as soon as the CBA allows. Their model of drafting the right players, developing them into stars, and extending them early has the franchise on the verge of the NFL’s next dynasty, and it’s hard to see a shiny new object like Watt getting in the way of those plans.
