Burning Question: Is It Feasible For Detroit Lions To Trade For T.J. Watt?

The Los Angeles Rams trading for Myles Garrett has forced team's with talented defensive ends to explore the possibility of trading an asset coveted across the National Football League.

Veteran defensive end T.J. Watt signed a massive three-year, $123 million extension last offseason that included $108 million in guaranteed monies.

After a 2025 season in which the 31-year-old tallied just seven sacks in 13 games, many Steelers supporters are wondering if he will return to form in 2026.

Could the Detroit Lions be interested in Watt, if the Steelers make the decision to put him on the market?

It does not appear that general manager Brad Holmes is interested in a hefty price tag for another defensive end, especially since the team will soon begin paying Aidan Hutchinson north of $45 million annually.

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NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler recently appeared on the DVE Morning Show in Pittsburgh to discuss if Watt was realistically a player that could be dealt this summer, especially since teammate Nick Herbig inked a four-year, $100 million extension that included $42 million in guaranteed monies.

"I did a 2027 offseason primer story a couple weeks ago, just asking people around the league what's the storyline we're gonna be talking about next offseason," said Fowler. "And a couple people did mention T.J. Watt for that same reason. The Steelers are a legacy team and they're in a different position than the Browns a little bit, where even if they're not winning a Super Bowl this year, they've still been a playoff team.

So, l'd be harder-pressed to say Watt would be traded like Garrett was, but these are the realities that teams face now when they're paying a guy $40 million a year and he gets in his 30s."

Lions general manager Brad Holmes revamped the Lions' roster, following a season where the team missed the postseason. A concerted effort was made to get younger, especially along the defensive line and in the linebackers room.

It is hard to envision Watt being on Detroit's radar, given Derrick Moore was selected in the second-round of the draft this year and the team also signing free agents D.J. Wonnum and Payton Turner. Ahmed Hassanein is entering his second season in Detroit and is still in Detroit's plans moving forward.

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