One of the biggest needs over the offseason for the Washington Commanders was finding a true edge rusher. 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.
Watt becomes a free agent in 2026, but he’d like an extension before that, so he has not participated in any offseason workouts to date for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Similar to the Commanders’ situation with Terry McLaurin, both the Steelers and Watt want to see a deal done. In the event that doesn’t happen, though, Fox Sports named the Commanders a potential landing spot for the veteran linebacker.
Pittsburgh Steelers edge T.J. Watt: Washington CommandersAgain, I’m not buying that the Steelers would do this. Watt is an iconic piece of that franchise — and that word carries weight in Pittsburgh. Furthermore, even with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, the Steelers’ hopes of accomplishing anything this season will still rest on their defense.
Then, the author suggests trading away one of the Commanders’ most loyal players: Scary Terry.
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. 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. Adding him to a pass rush that currently includes Frankie Luvu, Dorance Armstrong, Deatrich Wise and Clelin Ferrell would upgrade the Washington pass rush from “so-so” to outright dangerous.
Sure, maybe it’s a mixed message to hinder the offense by trading McLaurin only to add T.J. Watt. But, with all due respect to Scary Terry, I think it’s a bit harder to find a DPOY-level edge rusher than an All-Pro caliber receiver in today’s NFL.
It doesn’t just hinder the offense to trade McLaurin, it hinders Jayden Daniels’ development, which is far more important than any pass rusher. Adding T.J. Watt will deplete the Commanders’ remaining cap space and require additional financial adjustments to make it happen. But let’s be real, letting McLaurin go is not an option the Commanders want to take.
Besides, everyone knows Watt isn’t leaving Pittsburgh, and McLaurin isn’t leaving Washington. Most likely.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders named landing spot for T.J. Watt if Steelers moved him