As good as T.J. Watt is, as synonymous with the Pittsburgh Steelers that number 90 jersey has become, everyone has a price.
That is especially true of GM Omar Khan, who is looking to win every deal he comes across, sometimes to his own detriment.
So with rumors flying after T.J. Watt's cryptic Instagram post, the trade talk has started heating up, with one NFL analyst proposing a haul that would make the Steelers actually consider the unthinkable...
Chris Simms believes Steelers fetch a first-rounder and more for T.J. Watt
“Certainly, you are going to have to give him the new deal. So that takes a little of the value away there, but you’re going to get a one (first-round pick), a two (second-round pick) and maybe something else down the road. At least, a one and another high pick. That’s probably what it would be a one and a three (third-round pick)? He is 30 and add that to the contract. I think it will be somewhere in that ballpark,” Simms said on Pro Football Talk’s podcast with Mike Florio.
I promise you this. If Omar Khan gets a call between now and the start of next Thursday's draft, and the person on the other line says, 'Hey will give you a one, a two and three in next year's draft for T.J.,' he might not say 'done,' but he will definitely consider it.
As great as Watt has been, he's headed into his ninth NFL season, playing one of the most brutal and physical positions in the sport and is going to turn 31 years old in the fall.
All that being said, Watt is coming off a "down year" by his standards, where all he did was make the Pro Bowl, earn second-team All-Pro honors, go over double-digit sacks and lead the league in forced fumbles.
And while it's fine to dance with hypothecials after Watt set the NFL world ablaze, all he wants is his money. He doesn't actually want to be traded or retire, he just wants fair market value.
We'll see if Pittsburgh is willing to give him that.
