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The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season ended on a rocky note 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 resigned Tuesday after 19 seasons, and there’s no guarantee quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return as he mulls retirement.
FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd said the Steelers should turn things around and trade star running back TJ Watt to help find their quarterback of the future.
“A couple years ago when I said I was going to move TJ Watt and get more picks, it was outrageous,” Cowherd said during “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 Jan. 4, 2026. (Charles LeClaire/Image Images)
Cowherd said the Steelers should move the Defensive Player of the Year to start a rebuild and get a quarterback. Any draft capital the Steelers get for Watt, Cowherd said, should be used to land Alabama’s star quarterback Ty Simpson.
“If you’re Pittsburgh with all these picks, my bottom line is you give 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 ammunition. Go get Ty Simpson. You don’t have to move up 25 spots. Move up 10.
“Any of these coaches have to have the quarterback, right?” —added the cowherd. “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 Nov. 2, 2025. (Barry Reeger/Image 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 additional 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 fourth-round picks, giving them seven picks in the first four rounds of the draft. Trading Watt would give them even more recruiting 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 in each of the last eight seasons.
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker TJ Watt is on the sideline after being injured during the second half of a game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Pittsburgh on Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Over his career, Watt 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 considered 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.
