After the loss to the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs, it's abundantly clear that the Jacksonville Jaguars need to make upgrades to the defense. Cornerback may be the biggest priority on their to-do list. However, you could make the case that the pass rush is also in need of some juice despite the fact that Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen are around.
Make no mistake, Walker and Hines-Allen are fine players, but if the dreaded rival Houston Texans proved something in the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers is that a ferocious pass rush can influence the outcome of a game. The Jags certainly don't have one, at least not one of their caliber.
For that reason, Jacksonville needs to fortify the pass rush, and the dream trade target may be available in the offseason.
The Jaguars must keep tabs on TJ Watt if the Steelers place him on the trade block
Following the loss to the Texans, star pass rusher T.J. Watt showed notable frustration, pointing out that he doesn't know what needs to change for the Steelers to enjoy postseason success.
T.J. Watt on what needs to change about this team to have success in the postseason:
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 13, 2026
"I haven't had the answer for a long time, so don't ask me."
For context, the Steelers haven't won a playoff game since 2017. Couple that with the fact that Pittsburgh may move on from long-time head coach Mike Tomlin, and there's a strong chance that Watt will want to explore is options.
If the Steelers wanted to place Watt on the trade block, his contract would not be a hurdle. He's set to have a cap hit of $42 million, but trading him would free up $12 million with $30 million in cap space. If Pittsburgh waited a bit and dealt him after June 1st, it would leave $10 million and $20 million in dead money in 2025 and 2026, respectively.
This is a long-winded way to say that Watt's contract is tradable. Sure, he just signed a three-year, $123 million extension in 2025, but nobody would bat an eye if he wanted to join a team he feels has a better chance of making a playoff push than Pittsburgh. And if he ends up being available, you can bet that he will have no shortage of suitors looking to make a run for him.
After all, Watt is a four-time First-Team All-Pro nod and has earned eight Pro Bowl designations. His 115 sacks are the fifth most among active players, but it's important to mention that three of the four pass rushers ahead of him have been around the NFL longer: Cameron Jordan, Calais Campbell, and Von Miller.
Simply put, T.J. Watt could turn any pass rush into a force to be reckon with.
Related: 5 players who definitely won't return to Jacksonville in 2026
Could the Jaguars realistically trade for T.J. Watt?
General manager James Gladstone proved in his first season with the Jaguars that he's not afraid to pull the trigger if he believes it will make the team better. T.J. Watt would most definitely accomplish that when you take into account that the pass rusher wasn't able to contain quarterback Josh Allen in the playoff loss.
Imagine the kind of boost Watt would give to the Jacksonville front four, even if it were just one season. And that's the thing, the Jags would need to allocate significant resources to land Watt, at least a first and third-round pick, on top of taking on his contract.
The Jags are more than $7 million over the cap right now, so they would need to release a handful of players and restructure a few contracts to make room for Watt. Moreover, they don't have a first-round selection in this year's draft. That won't be an issue if Pittsburgh waits until June to trade him, as Jacksonville could give the Steelers their first next year. That said, other teams may put together a package to get him before the draft that is too good to pass up.
The one downside of trading for Watt is that it would make it difficult for Jacksonville to re-sign Travon Walker, whose contract runs through 2027.
The bottom line is that trading for T.J. Watt would come with its set of pros and cons, but it would most definitely be doable.