Can the Washington Commanders trade for T.J. Watt without trading away their own contract-dispute star Terry McLaurin?
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The wide receiver is coming off the best season of his six-year career in the nation's capital and it was also the team's most successful year in over three decades.
McLaurin was an integral part of Washington's high-powered offense, led by electrifying rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. As much as they would want to keep him, McLaurin could demand a top-of-the-market contract value that the Commanders may not feel comfortable with, especially as tensions have been high with the two parties for months.
This had led to endless speculation about McLaurin's trade potential. His value is as high as it's ever been, and Washington could scrape together much-needed financial flexibility to help the rest of the roster if they move on from McLaurin.
The pass rush is a major concern with the loss of a double-digit sack total in Dante Fowler Jr. Over in the AFC North, there's a notable edge rusher that has also been the center of holdout and trade discussions.
FOX Sports' David Helman linked the Commanders to potentially trade McLaurin to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for disgruntled edge rusher T.J. Watt, the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year.
"Why not indulge one delusional fantasy with another? If Washington were to trade Terry McLaurin, they’d be opening some financial wiggle room to add another lucrative player," Helman said.
"They could get at least two, if not three, years of play out of Watt before they have to worry about extending Jayden Daniels. They definitely need the pass rush help. Watt would give Dan Quinn a blue chip player, which he doesn’t really have right now, on his Commanders' defense."
We say let's leave dealing Terry out of this ... because adding one great player while subtracting another really doesn't elevate Washington.
But ...
A move that allows the Commanders to add a cornerstone piece to the defense?
That works.
CBS Sports is suggesting that Washington should be on the five-team list of bidders for Watt, who is unhappy with his contract extension stall.
They write, "You can bet coach Dan Quinn would find a way to unleash Watt just as he did Micah Parsons with the Dallas Cowboys. This is a franchise focused on winning now, as evidenced by other offseason trades, and why not fork over big bucks to Watt while you have Jayden Daniels on a rookie deal? The pass rushing unit could still use a headliner, and Washington has plenty of cap space to use in 2026-2027.''
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Except for the part about the Steelers having shown no indication about wanting to move on from a pillar of their franchise ...
Washington calling the Steelers makes sense on Watt. Right up until the time the Steelers ask for McLaurin.
