Would the Steelers send T.J. Watt to the 49ers?
T.J. Watt has had Pittsburgh Steelers fans talking over the last handful of days when he posted a cryptic photo of himself flashing the peace sign on his Instagram story. This led to many predicting where he could be traded, with many labeling the Green Bay Packers as his top potential landing spot due to his Wisconsin roots. However, Chris Canty of ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike says the San Francisco 49ers should be the team to acquire Watt and send Brock Purdy to Pittsburgh in exchange.
“[Use] T.J. Watt as a way to be able to pry Brock Purdy from San Francisco,” Canty said. “The 49ers gutted [their] defense, being able to add some help for Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.”
The Steelers need a long-term answer at quarterback, but is Purdy that? We’ve seen what happens when quarterbacks leave Kyle Shanahan and join a less-than-stellar offensive staff. Jimmy Garoppolo went from a productive starter to backing up Aidan O’Connell before his lone season in Las Vegas was even complete.
While the Steelers need a franchise quarterback, getting a mid-tier quarterback in exchange for Watt doesn’t make sense. If they are going to move Watt (which they likely won’t), getting draft picks in return to use as ammunition to trade up for a quarterback in 2026 would be the better move.