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The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season ended badly when they lost 30-6 in the wild-card round to the Houston Texans, and the organization is already undergoing major changes.
Longtime head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down after 19 seasons Tuesday, and there is no guarantee that quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return as he contemplates retirement.
FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd said the Steelers should shake up and trade star edge rusher TJ Watt to help find their quarterback of the future.
“A couple of years ago when I said I was going to move TJ Watt and get more picks, it was outrageous,” Cowherd said on “The Herd.” “TJ’s 0-for-5 in the playoffs. How outrageous is that?”
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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt warms up before a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on January 4, 2026. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
Cowherd said the Steelers needed to move the Defensive Player of the Year to start a rebuild to get a quarterback. Any draft capital the Steelers get for Watt, Cowherd said, should be used to get Alabama star quarterback Ty Simpson.
“If you’re Pittsburgh with all these picks, my takeaway is: You’re giving up about six of them to get Ty Simpson in the first round,” Cowherd said. “Say what you want, it’s something. They have seven draft picks in the first four rounds. The Steelers have the ammunition. Get Ty Simpson. You don’t have to move up 25 spots. Go up 10.
“Every one of these coaches, you’ve got to have the quarterback, right?” Cowherd added. “They don’t have a quarterback. I want a quarterback.”
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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt watches the game against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Nov. 2, 2025. (Barry Reeger/Imagn Images)
The Steelers already have a lot of draft capital. They own all of their picks, including the 21st overall pick in the NFL Draft, and have two more third-round picks from the George Pickens trade with the Dallas Cowboys and a compensatory pick after the Tennessee Titans signed former Steelers offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. last offseason.
The Steelers also have two picks in the fourth round, giving them seven picks in the first four rounds of the draft. Trading Watt would give them even more draft capital and ammunition for a trade.
In 14 games this season, Watt had 55 tackles, seven sacks and three forced fumbles. The former Wisconsin star has made the Pro Bowl each of the last eight seasons.
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker TJ Watt stands on the sideline after being injured in the second half of a game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Pittsburgh, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
For his career, Watt has recorded 115 sacks and forced 36 fumbles in 135 games and is constantly around the quarterback.
A trade for the 31-year-old star would signal a rebuild because the team would lose a pillar of its vaunted defense, but Cowherd believes it could be necessary.
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Simpson is widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in this year’s class. In 15 games this season, he completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
