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The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season ended in rough fashion when they lost 30-6 in the wild-card round to the Houston Texans, and the organization is already going through major changes.
Longtime head coach Mike Tomlin resigned after 19 seasons Tuesday, and there’s no guarantee quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return as he considers retirement.
Colin Cowherd of FOX Sports said the Steelers should shake things up and trade star edge rusher TJ Watt to help them find their quarterback of the future.
“A few years ago when I said I would move TJ Watt and have more picks, it was outrageous,” Cowherd said on “The Herd.” “TJ is 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 should name the Defensive Player of the Year to jumpstart 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: You’re giving up about six 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 ammo. Go get Ty Simpson. You don’t have to move up 25 spots. Move up 10.
“Any one of these coaches, you have to have the quarterback, right?” » Adds the herdsman. “They don’t have a quarterback. I want a quarterback.”
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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt watches the action against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on November 2, 2025. (Barry Reeger/Imagn Images)
The Steelers already have plenty of draft capital. They own all of their picks, including the No. 21 pick in the NFL Draft, and have two additional third-round picks from the George Pickens trade to 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 fourth-round picks, giving them seven selections in the first four rounds of the draft. Trading Watt would give them even more capital and ammo for a trade.
In 14 games this season, Watt has 55 tackles, seven sacks and three forced fumbles. The former Wisconsin star has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last eight seasons.
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker TJ Watt stands on the sideline after being injured during the second half of a game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Pittsburgh on September 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Over the course of his career, Watt has recorded 115 sacks and forced 36 fumbles in 135 games and is constantly around the quarterback.
A trade of the 31-year-old star would signal a rebuild as the team would lose a pillar of its vaunted defense, but Cowherd believes it might be necessary.
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Simpson is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks in this year’s class. In 15 games this season, he completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
