Commanders Called ‘Ideal Fit’ in Trade for Projected $140 Million Edge Rusher

If the Washington Commanders want to truly put an exclamation mark on their offseason — and cement their status as Super Bowl contenders — this might be the moment.

USA Today and Commanders Wire’s Serena Burks called the Commanders the “Ideal Fit” in a possible trade for Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt  — a deal that would be seismic in not just the NFL but across all of pro sports.

Any deal for Watt would require the team to sign him to a contract extension that would at least match the 4-year, $160 million extension signed by Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett on March 9 — or at least match the deal in terms of the annual $40 million salary.

Watt, the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a 6-time NFL All-Pro, is headed into the final season of the 4-year, $112 million extension he signed with the Steelers in September 2021.

“One of the biggest needs over the offseason for the Washington Commanders was finding a true edge rusher,” Burks wrote on June 29. “They brought in Javon Kinlaw and Deatrich Wise Jr., and while they are both capable defenders, the Commanders lack a true game-changing edge rusher. You know, someone like T.J. Watt.”

Commanders Ignored Edge in Draft and Free Agency

The Commanders did make a big move on the defensive front in the offseason — just not at edge rusher — when they signed free agent defensive tackle Kinlaw to a 3-year, $45 million contract on March 10.

While the Commanders already had a pair of serviceable defensive tackles on the roster with Daron Payne and Jer’Zhan Newton, what they still don’t have is an elite edge rusher. It’s something you almost certainly need if you want to win a Super Bowl.

Washington also failed to add an edge rusher in the 2025 NFL draft.

“I’m a little confused by not taking any edge rushers,” Barstool Sports’ PFT Commentator, a Commanders fan, said on “Pardon My Take” on April 28. “That’s a position we really need and there’s nobody there right now, pretty much.”

What Potential Watt Trade Might Look Like

Figuring out what the Steelers might need to get back in a trade for Watt is the most complicated part of the equation.

Trades for stars like Watt, a likely Pro Football Hall of Famer, come along just once a generation or so. Edge rushers have been at the top of the food chain on NFL defenses dating back to when we used to call them outside linebackers and defensive ends.

One likely starting point might be the Commanders’ giving up their 2026 first round pick along with a starter or high level backup.

In the history of the NFL, few players have been able to rush the passer like Watt, who tied Michael Strahan’s single season record of 22.5 sacks in 2021 and was the second fastest player to 100 career sacks in NFL history behind the late Reggie White.

Watt had 11.5 sacks in 2024 and has 108.0 career sacks — just 15 sacks away from cracking the NFL’s Top 20 career sacks leaders.

For the Steelers, any trade of Watt is likely centered around their desire to not pay him the full amount he wants — likely because he turns 31 years old in October — which is something the Commanders would be smart to remind Pittsburgh of throughout the process.