Insider RUMOR: Steelers Analyst Floats Mega T.J. Watt → Eagles Swap!

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are open to all outcomes this offseason and haven't held back from making some splashes via trade. But T.J. Watt should be different, right?

While the Steelers are hopeful they'll get a deal done with their former Defensive Player of the Year, nothing is guaranteed, and the possibility of trading him has been floated around by many. If they do decide to move on, there will be plenty of bidders, with one Steelers radio host floating an idea with the Philadelphia Eagles.

93.7 The Fan's Andrew Fillipponi sees a trade that could work for both teams, but lands Pittsburgh a replacement for their superstar edge rusher. Floating a player swap on X (formerly known as Twitter), Fillipponi created the hypothetical of sending Watt to Philadelphia for Nolan Smith.

Steelers would receive: Smith and a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft (via the Jets).

Eagles would receiver: Watt.

Smith is just 24 years old and coming off his first Super Bowl win with Philadelphia. He started 10 games this past season, recording 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss.

As a rookie, he played in 17 games but did not start, recording 18 tackles, one sack and a tackle for loss.

Smith is a first-round pick with plenty of potential in the NFL, but Pittsburgh would certainly be making the trade to bank on his development. To this point, he's not in the same tier as Watt, and can't be viewed as a replacement that keeps the Steelers defense just as loaded.

But if Pittsburgh is looking to make a move, he's one of the best bets they can make. His future looks bright, he's got a ton of career left ahead of him, and already knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl. Maybe that doesn't transition to success with a new team, leaving the Steelers without a quality replacement. Maybe, he gets much better with less around him.

Pittsburgh's defensive line would then consist of Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, Alex Highsmith and Smith, who are all very young in their career. A better option than if they had an aging Watt? That's for them to decide.