One NFL analyst went so far as to propose the Los Angeles Rams as a trade partner, writing that general manager Les Snead could offer edge rusher Byron Young and one of the team's two 2026 first-round picks for Watt. Whether or not Snead and Sean McVay would entertain such a trade remains to be seen, but the idea is intriguing.

Insider Aditi Kinkhabwala claims the Steelers and T.J. Watt once exchanged bold words during contract negotiations.

"The stalemate is going to be that T.J. Watt wants to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. And the Steelers are looking at it that he's age 31. In order to accommodate any kind of large contract, it can't be a three-year deal, it has to be a five-year deal because you need to spread the money out."