The Pittsburgh Steelers signed pass rusher Nick Herbig to a lucrative long-term extension that keeps him in the Steelers fold until 2030. Many felt like it was warranted, as the young edge rusher was giving Pittsburgh his all. But this would not have been possible if the Steelers didn’t plan on freeing up space for him. According to former Steelers star James Harrison, veteran pass rusher T.J. Watt might have to make this sacrifice.

“Trading Highsmith is not going to happen because they just paid Herbig,” Harrison said on the Deebo and Joe Podcast alongside former Pittsburgh defensive back Joe Haden. “I feel like it’s gonna be a transition over the next couple of years where we keep that group. And, like I said, after that second year, when T.J.’s guarantee is done, I think he jumps to $40-something million that last year, and he’s going to be 34, 35, I think they release him.”

What hasn’t Watt done for the Steelers? He chose to end his holdout with the team in 2021, ignoring his agent’s plan. The star edge rusher has led the league thrice in sacks; save for three seasons in his nine-year-long career, Watt has hauled in sacks in double-digits. He’s also won the Defensive Player of the Year honor once. It made sense for the Steelers to award him an extension even though he’d gone past the 30-year mark.

But with Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig also set to earn big money, Watt’s position has become threatened.

The Steelers decided to reward Herbig and Highsmith with a four-year, $100 million extension and a four-year, $68 million contract, respectively. Watt, on the other hand, signed a three-year, $123 million contract in 2025. The Steelers have a solid pass-rushing machine because of these three. But it’s generally not feasible for a singular unit in a team to take up so much salary cap space.

Watt’s contract has a $41 million average annual value and pays him $108 million in guaranteed money. When 2027 comes around, his future will definitely be a topic up for discussion, because Watt is the oldest in this trio.

His brothers, J.J. and Derek, retired around the age TJ is from their NFL careers. The youngest Watt might follow soon.

It would be a tough truth to accept, because Watt has been an outlier for the Steelers throughout his career. He is a very costly player for the team, who might not give Pittsburgh the returns they’d hoped for towards the end of his contract. Bleacher Report ranked Watt’s contract as the worst in the league, because his stats dropped from 19 in 2023 to 11.5 in 2024. Perhaps his low seven-sack total in 2025 could be excused because of his injured lung, but the numbers falling in his healthy years indicate that Watt might very well be in his twilight.

However, this is T.J. Watt being talked about. Who knows, he might still give us a season worth remembering.

T.J. Watt’s mere presence on the field is a game-changer for his teammates

Nearly a decade since he was drafted, Watt has put together what is a Hall of Fame-calibre career. He’s been selected to four All-Pros, and is entering his 10th season at age 31. Despite what some say about the longevity of his career, a recent stat implies that Watt still has it.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Chris Carter presented Watt’s continuing impact on his teammates. According to his analysis of SumerSports data, Nick Herbig’s pressure rate sits at 3.53% without Watt on the field and jumps to 7.28% when Watt is playing alongside him.

This stat above proves that Watt is still the straw that stirs the Steelers’ defense. Sacks and pressures alone don’t tell the whole story with a player of Watt’s caliber. By the first two weeks of the 2025 season, Watt was double-teamed on 66.67% of snaps. Only Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett had better numbers, and they’re both younger than him.

While financial and age considerations will almost certainly play a part in Watt’s future, right now, the Steelers will still look to rely on their defensive cornerstone as they enter a new chapter under head coach Mike McCarthy.