Cory's Corner: Watt Would Be Nice, But Not Necessary
The Steelers defensive cornerstone has been rumored to be traded to Green Bay.
The Packers have the fifth-most salary cap space in the NFL.
According to Over The Cap, they have $35.5 million in free space heading into this season. Now many people are automatically thinking that the Packers should sink their teeth into a T.J. Watt trade, which would bring the dynamic pass rusher from the state of Wisconsin back home.
But it’s not exactly that easy. The first order of business should be re-signing Zach Tom. He is the best offensive lineman Green Bay has and is a free agent after 2026. He should be a priority. Linebacker Quay Walker is also a free agent after 2026. His athleticism would be sorely missed if it were on another team.
Christian Watson is a free agent after this season, but I’m not sure you can bring him back unless he’s willing to come back on a reduced rate that’s highly incentivized after all of his injuries.
Fast forward to 2027 and the Packers have tight end Tucker Kraft and wide receiver Jayden Reed becoming free agents. You could also argue for Elgton Jenkins, who has played a very good role by becoming a Jack of all Trades. However, he turns 30 this coming Dec. 26 and I don’t see Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst ponying up for another large contract for a guy that could soon be hit with a bevy of injuries.
And that takes me back to Watt. He has already missed 14 games as a pro, including one game due to an MCL sprain he suffered this past January, which sidelined him for the AFC Wild Card playoff game. Watt turns 31 in October. He has been a seven-time Pro Bowler and was named the 2021 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year after tallying 22.5 sacks. He has averaged 13.5 sacks over eight seasons and has been the cornerstone for the Steelers defense.
“I think you have to have the mentality that when you step on the field, you’re the baddest dude out there,” said Watt in 2023.
And he has backed that up time and time again with key tackles, batted passes and quarterback hurries that have translated into success for Pittsburgh. The problem is, Myles Garrett’s contract was so ridiculous this past offseason that it has left him no choice but to draw a line in the sand with his contract negotiations. The Browns are paying Garrett $40 million a year and Watt is entering his final year of his $112 million deal. He’s getting around $21 million in 2025.
I agree that Watt should be paid like Garrett, but it’s a fight that the Packers shouldn’t be worried about. They have a young roster that is ripe with young talent.
First, they need to address what players are key to their success like the ones I mentioned above and next, they have to develop a plan of how to make that happen.
Would it be nice for the Packers to have Watt on their team? Heck yes it would. Mainly because I’m still not sure about Luke Van Ness or Devonte Wyatt. Both of those guys were first round picks that the Packers put their trust in to be mainstays on defense.
The Packers may have room in their wallet now, but there are plenty of expenses on the horizon.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (61)
T7Steve
July 01, 2025 at 06:25 am
I agree with Cory here. I wish we could have drafted TJ but that didn't happen. 35mil in cap will disappear fast enough even without trying something so cute.
If they make any trades or moves in free agency it should be to shore up the CB room. That's the only position on defense that's still a mystery to me.
TKWorldWide
July 01, 2025 at 06:37 am
Is it a mystery because Hafley disguises coverages so well?
Or is it a “beautiful” mystery? 😉
T7Steve
July 01, 2025 at 06:42 am
Who is our best corner? How does he compare to the best corners in the league?
It's something we won't have to worry about if the pass rush develops and we can still contain the run this season.
GregC
July 01, 2025 at 07:19 am
Not sure why people think our corners are going to be worse this year. They were pretty good at the end of last season, and now the team added Nate Hobbs and subtracted Eric Stokes, which is a win-win. None of the CBs are superstars, but none of the top three are a weak spot either.
T7Steve
July 01, 2025 at 07:44 am
That's why I called it a "mystery". I don't think they're bad at all and think with a better pass rush, won't hurt the team at all. Besides, if you have a shutdown corner that makes teams go away from, while cutting the field in half, it also lets them plan other twists. If the whole field is even, both teams start out that way. I don't know if I'm making any sense.
LLCHESTY
July 01, 2025 at 09:06 am
The starters are serviceable it's the depth that's scary.
TarynsEyes
July 01, 2025 at 09:13 am
"and now the team added Nate Hobbs and subtracted Eric Stokes, which is a win-win".
Sorry, but this isn't the movie, The Natural, and it isn't Roy Hobbs with Bump Bailey being replaced.
dblbogey
July 01, 2025 at 01:15 pm
Are you suggesting Stokes wasn't terrible?
TarynsEyes
July 01, 2025 at 03:26 pm
Not at all, but Stokes, in a sense, was no better than Bailey who was throwing games on purpose.
TKWorldWide
July 01, 2025 at 09:35 am
I don’t think any one of them is a sure #1. I think Nixon, Valentine and Hobbs are all solid. MAYBE one of the three will really take the reins. Who knows? Gotta play the games.
PackerBackerAZ
July 01, 2025 at 01:54 pm
I'm in the dark about it.
TKWorldWide
July 03, 2025 at 04:36 pm
Just don’t retreat.
Guam
July 01, 2025 at 07:38 am
Agree T7Steve. This looks way too much like the Trey Hendrickson idea. Let's blow a huge amount of cap space and trade value (draft choices and/or players) for an aging player who will only help for a year or two while denying the Packers the ability to resign many of their talented young players due to no cap space. No thanks.
dobber
July 01, 2025 at 09:24 am
Agreed. This kind of deal would be a "finishing move." The kind of acquisition you make to try to put your roster over the top to win a title right now...because the longer term implications are going to be really hard on your roster (loss of high value draft capital) and your cap--due to the extension you need to offer because you can't rationalize the picks dealt away otherwise.
The two primary knocks on Watt when he came out were his general lack of experience at DE/OLB, and a reconstructed knee in his then recent past (which was a bigger deal then than it is now). It seems like everyone's been waiting for Watt to get hurt. Even now we're hearing people say, "well, he's gonna get hurt." It's the same thing people have been saying about Hendrickson, who missed games early in his career but has been pretty healthy the last 4-5. Watt's lost about 12 games over 9 seasons due to injury...that's a pretty good record of availability.
Someone said it would be like the Bears going after Khalil Mack: they weren't in a position where he was going to put them over the top and the cost was crippling. The Bears had too many questions at that point, but Mack was in his prime at that stage while Hendrickson and Watt are going to be sunsetting. In the long run, the Packers have enough questions that a move like this doesn't make sense.
Guam
July 01, 2025 at 09:41 pm
This type of move in the "last dance" year of Rodgers would have made sense since it would all get blown up shortly thereafter as the aging roster would retire or be cut. You don't do it with a young, developing roster.
GregC
July 01, 2025 at 07:14 am
TJ Watt would be a great addition to any team, but the Packers don't have the money, plus he would cost a fortune in a trade, and the Steelers don't intend to trade him. So I'm just going to post my roster:
QB (2): Jordan Love, Malik Willis
RB: (4): Josh Jacobs, Marshawn Lloyd, Emmanuel Wilson, Chris Brooks
WR (6): Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Matthew Golden, Savion Williams, Mecole Hardman
TE (3): Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave, John Fitzpatrick
OL (10): Rasheed Walker, Aaron Banks, Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan, Zach Tom, Jordan Morgan, Anthony Belton, Jacob Monk, Travis Glover, Kadeem Telfort
DT (5): Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, Warren Brinson
DE (6): Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, Brenton Cox, Barry Sorrell, Collin Oliver
LB (5): Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie, Ty'Ron Hopper, Isaiah Simmons
CB (4): Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, Carrington Valentine, Kamal Hadden
S (5): Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, Kitan Oladapo, Zayne Anderson
K: Brandon McManus
P: Daniel Whelan
LS: Matt Orzech
dobber
July 01, 2025 at 08:59 am
So hard to guess what some of the names will be now, but I think they'll take 5 CB out of camp (or will immediately pick one up at cutdowns). That may come at the expense of a spot on offense, because I find it hard to argue with a lot of your selections--based on 2024 and the draft, anyway.
I think they take 10 OL simply because they'll want to shelter some younger guys and will likely lose two off the top of their depth chart at the end of 2026. I wouldn't be surprised if they only keep 3 RB.
They're going to cut guys who can play.
GregC
July 01, 2025 at 09:45 am
Yes, four RBs is a lot when there is seldom more than one on the field at any given time. I'm just thinking that Chris Brooks is going to be better, and hence more worth protecting on the roster, than the #5 CB, who can start the season on the practice squad. Plus they always (or almost always) keep the same number of players (25) on offense and defense.
dobber
July 01, 2025 at 11:10 am
Gute hasn't been afraid to make some quirky moves at the final cut (what, no LS?) to sneak players past waivers, but a few of those were players that were hurt and they wanted to get to non-season-ending IR. With that in mind, the #5 CB idea you forward isn't too far out there...but if your #5 CB is a shoe in to get to the PS, what kind of quality are you talking about? That's likely a guy who's at or below replacement level...which means he's no loss if he gets claimed.
WD
July 01, 2025 at 03:09 pm
Kamal Hadden as the 4th CB? Who the hell is Kamal Hadden? Granted I don't know much about him but there were 35 CB's rated higher than him in the draft. He runs a 4.59 which is sloth like for a CB in the NFL. Opposing QBs will target him every play.
I don't like only keeping 4 CBs. Frankly, I would feel a lot more comfortable with Bo Melton. Put Kamal on the practice squad with Mica Robinson. Other than that your list sounds good.
GregC
July 01, 2025 at 03:56 pm
Hadden is kind of a default at this point. It would be best if a more athletic player steps forward in training camp. But Hadden would not have been drafted in the 6th round, nor would he have been acquired by the Packers, if he was physically incapable of playing the position.
sugarbair
July 01, 2025 at 07:44 am
"Linebacker Quay Walker is also a free agent after 2026. His athleticism would be sorely missed if it were on another team."
Not a big fan of Walker. If we were having a track meet, I would miss him. But we are playing football.
T7Steve
July 01, 2025 at 07:49 am
I think with the new help beside him, Quay will be coming into his own this season. He had serviceable help before that was really only good at one thing or the other not both pass and run and I think that made him worry and hesitant.
HarryHodag
July 01, 2025 at 08:11 am
When you hear the word 'rumor' this time of the year it's largely something cooked up by someone to fill space or time.
Watt isn't coming to Green Bay. They have a whole bunch of people to pay coming up and that trade would largely end those signings.
One mistake is to assume the Packers have a bunch of cap space that they have to spend it this year. They need that money to get over a large money hump next year.
Turophile
July 01, 2025 at 08:32 am
Rumour.
It's so imprecise. Is this a credible rumour from a reliable source, or just some piece of trash a journo made up because there is very little news of interest at this time (see the 'Packers Fanatic' site for a metric ton of ludricous rumours, for example). There is a huge, gigantic gulf between the two. I'll just ignore this, until I hear something from a relatively reliable sourse.
dobber
July 01, 2025 at 09:02 am
You win the thread, Turo!
BuckyBadger
July 01, 2025 at 08:33 am
TJ Watt is a HOF caliber player but every player hits the point of their career where they are not worth that top contract. If you pay a guy who is 30 a top market contract you will most likely not get your return. He isn't going to get 19 sacks anymore, he is more likely to get dinged up and miss time. If you can get him at age 26 then it is a different story. The Steelers would be right to trade him and let someone else pay him.
the_gavia_pass
July 01, 2025 at 10:13 am
peppers was even older than watt and really declining but was a great sign (ted was still healthy) and almost carried us to SB if we had a good ST coach.
I can make tons of examples...belichick won rings signing declining players...obj was signed by rams and won the SB! he sent messages to us..he wanted to play with Rodgers...but yeah we don't care about that kind of moves...
your strategy is a loser. we lost years with that mentality.
BuckyBadger
July 01, 2025 at 04:46 pm
Belichick NEVER paid top dollar like Watt is demanding for a declining player. His whole MO was to let those players go and there are tons of examples that prove my point with him. He got bargain on veterans that people thought where washed up. Peppers wasn't demanding the top contract either. OBJ had little to nothing to do with the Rams winning. Your examples don't fit the mold here. I never said don't get bargain deals on veterans but you don't pay them top dollar that eats your cap up.
We see this all the time, you over pay for a player then the team wants out of the contract because it hampers them. Paying a 30 year old player like he is in his prime is a loser strategy. It is a young mans game.
Also it was Peppers who told Ha Ha to get down instead of returning the INT into FG range which would have won the game as well.
the_gavia_pass
July 02, 2025 at 02:58 am
you live in your own dreams. reality is different. so go back to see how obj was a key to the SB. belickick was paying the talent, you just need to go back to the rosters and salaries and you'll see.
you're typical packers fan, like the one a few days ago saying "patriots had only tom brady"...just as example pats had gronk the best TE of all time....
BuckyBadger
July 02, 2025 at 08:50 am
You have no understanding of the salary cap. Name me one player the Belichick paid top dollar for? Go ahead and try. He was known to let guys go and get paid elsewhere. Remember Ty Law or who about Chandler Jones? The list is long on him letting guys go. When he took in vet talent he got them on a below market deal. He only paid Gronk, Wollfork and Brady. Guys in their prime and generational talent. Watt is past his prime and not worth $40M. What did the Rams pay OBJ that year? Have to look at what the cap cost was but I don't think you are capable of such detail.
TarynsEyes
July 01, 2025 at 09:24 am
Wait, so why didn't GB make a trade with Miami for Ramsey? Isn't that the highest concern for the Defense? Especially since GB has a high expectation of jumps and leaps from the DL and LB groups.
dblbogey
July 01, 2025 at 01:18 pm
What trade would you have made for him? McKinney? Maybe they didn't trade for him because he's 31 this season, and cost a lot in compensation.
TarynsEyes
July 01, 2025 at 03:29 pm
I wouldn't have traded for Ramsey, but I would think a CB of higher ability would be more necessary than Watt. Based on the previous season rankings on the Defense, because rankings tells us all that is needed to know.
WD
July 01, 2025 at 03:16 pm
I agree. CB is the Achilles heel going into the season, All I see in the CB position is potential. One or two injuries and it is game over for the defense and the Packers. I would put Bo Melton and Micah Robinson on a fast track now. We had no plan for losing Jaire. Funny How the Ravens were able to sign him easily for cheap.
GregC
July 01, 2025 at 04:03 pm
It's easy to see why the Ravens signed Jaire for cheap. He is constantly getting injured, and he may not be as good as he used to be.
There is a lot more than potential in the CB room. Hobbs, Nixon, and Valentine all have a lot of experience, and they've all played quite well. We need someone to step up and grab that #4 CB spot, but that's what training camp is for.
mnbadger
July 01, 2025 at 09:40 am
I hope we don't double down on the draft day mistake when passing on Watt by overpaying for him during his decline.
GPG!
PhantomII
July 02, 2025 at 08:39 pm
So far his decline is much better than any of our Edges best since the Smiths were terrorizing opponents....
pantz_bURp
July 01, 2025 at 09:44 am
Coach Lombardi:
"Watt the hell?, is going on at CHTV?? :)
Love & stuff,
Pantz on the Ground
*Pad level: pen and pad of paper
NFLfan
July 01, 2025 at 09:50 am
-Zach Tom is a priority
-Jenkin's is anybody's guess-
-the elephant in the room is the over-payment of 2 DL's who seemed to lose effectiveness after the big payday.
-Quay Walker should only get a one-year, incentive-laden contract
-Watson is another one-year, incentive-laden contract
the_gavia_pass
July 01, 2025 at 10:08 am
definetely in green bay they sell good smoke.
we give 24 million per year to mr irrelevance rashan gary but we are afraid to get and pay a perennial dpoy candidate a generational talent the one we missed in that infamous draft!
leave the bottle man..
the_gavia_pass
July 01, 2025 at 10:16 am
remember peppers?
we went inches from SB with him...
great players are always welcomed in great teams!
von miller, obj...great signings of declining players that gave SB to their teams.
may be with obj and davante adams we could beat the 49ers even with lafleur panicking as usual and with bad ST
PackfanNY
July 01, 2025 at 10:37 am
The Watt and for that matter Trey Hendrickson rumors are nothing more than bored writers and fans trying to fit pieces together that just aren’t there. Fans that follow this team know (right or wrong) that these type of expensive swings/gambles to take the Packers over the top are just not who Gute and the Packers are. You can expect another full season of watching Lucas Van Ness develop or not develop. They live and die by the draft and develop philosophy. The little older, big money veteran doesn’t happen frequently for us. I’m still more worried about Cornerback.
the_gavia_pass
July 01, 2025 at 10:51 am
it was not like that till ted thompson was healthy.
we signed charles woodson HOF, peppers HOF, jimmy graham.
when ted unfortunately got too sick murphy took over football operations and we all see the results. gute is just a yes man.
that said I agree actually our vision is draft&develop and sometimes to sign average players paying them as great players
13TimeChamps
July 01, 2025 at 11:39 am
"we signed charles woodson HOF, peppers HOF, jimmy graham."
Those were FA signings, not trades. And we didn't sign any of them to top-of-the-market contracts PLUS draft capital, which is what Watt would require.
Do you ever get tired of being wrong?
the_gavia_pass
July 01, 2025 at 04:47 pm
it doesn't matter if it's a trade or FA. ted was really very smart till 2014-15 so he could sign great FA without losing draft capital in a trade. But we've seen many great winning GMs doing trades. Look at the rams, they gave up tons of high pick but they won a SB went to another and now they still have a great ascending team. they picked jared verse a generational talent after picking aaron donald one of the greatest. they picked braden fiske who a lot better of any defensive lineman we have. so we have an average management, that's it and deal with it
13TimeChamps
July 01, 2025 at 05:47 pm
"ted was really very smart till 2014-15 so he could sign great FA without losing draft capital in a trade"
Other than Woodson and Ryan Pickett, who are these other "great FA's" that Thompson signed in his 13 year career as GB's GM? Peppers? Even if you consider him a great signing, which is highly debatable, that's 3 in 13 years.
Gutekunst has been much more successful than Thompson ever was in free agency.
That's it and deal with it.
the_gavia_pass
July 02, 2025 at 03:02 am
the only charles woodson sigining is far more important than all gutey signings togheter.
stop dreaming mediocrity, try to recognize greatness.
the problem in GB now is the mediocre part of the packers world is running the team, the same part that was running the team in the 70s.
we need to go back to vince lombardi rules. greatness over mediocrity.
GregC
July 01, 2025 at 11:40 am
Gute has been more active in free agency than Thompson ever was. And although Murphy may have had a hand in the Rodgers decisions (not even sure about that), I doubt that he has had much, if anything, to do with GM decisions aside from that.
13TimeChamps
July 01, 2025 at 11:58 am
"And although Murphy may have had a hand in the Rodgers decisions (not even sure about that), I doubt that he has had much, if anything, to do with GM decisions aside from that."
Totally agree. I always thought this idea that Murphy was a "de facto GM" lurking over Gute's shoulder and being involved in GM decisions was an overblown and false narrative. He may very well have been involved in the Rodgers contract extension, which tbh is understandable considering it was the largest, at the time, ever given out by GB. Other than that, I've never seen any evidence that Gute was operating with one hand tied behind his back due to Murphy's interference.
dobber
July 01, 2025 at 01:35 pm
Well stated, both you and Greg.
GregC
July 01, 2025 at 02:01 pm
Yeah, for the team president to constantly meddle in the GM's realm would be incredibly stupid. The GM is far more qualified to make those decisions. That's why he was picked for the job. I get it that some folks think Mark Murphy really IS that stupid, but the theory just doesn't add up. If Murphy was interfering with Gute, it would cause a lot of resentment, but the two of them seem to have a lot of respect for each other. I suppose they could be faking it, but I doubt it. The constant meddling would also create dysfunction on the football side of things (as it has for the New York Jets), but the Packers have been quite successful under this management structure, making the playoffs all but one season, getting the first seed twice, and narrowly missing out on a Super Bowl berth. We all wish they had done better than that, but it's not what I would call dysfunctional.
the_gavia_pass
July 01, 2025 at 04:51 pm
the GB structure is pretty clear. it's not words. it's a formal structure. and murphy in this structure has the last word. that is a fact, if you do not undrstand that is your problem.
GregC
July 01, 2025 at 04:57 pm
Bob Harlan had the last word too. He was above Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson. He hired them, and he could fire them if he wanted to. For the other 31 NFL teams, the owner has this power. But that doesn't mean they are micromanaging their GMs and frequently overruling their decisions. Most don't do that because it's a lousy way to run a franchise.
the_gavia_pass
July 02, 2025 at 03:06 am
so you do no understand the packers structure you do not admit you made a big mistake and what you do? you start lying....harlan was completely separate from football operations. ron wolf was the only one in charge. go back and study and may be go back to first grade school you need some more basic lessons.
the_gavia_pass
July 01, 2025 at 04:49 pm
so you do not know how murphy run the packers. he created a funny unique structure...basically he always had the last word on everything...one man show..unfortunately the show was not so good
MitchAnthony
July 01, 2025 at 05:20 pm
TJ Watt would have been nice, back when he was necessary. But that was when they passed on him.
Now, not so much.
PhantomII
July 01, 2025 at 09:49 pm
Watt....COULD tip us into the NFCC and maybe SB.....We are missing an Elite Edge and also a #1 WR as of now. The WR room may come into it's own????. The DL is going to have to play their best football to get us where we want to go. If we are able to Pass and run the ball on anyone...we may not have to get Edge help. It's a lot of money to pay a team with 2 very big holes on both sides of the ball and think you can still go toe to toe with the rest of the NFL. Are we in it to win it?
Norm
July 02, 2025 at 09:20 pm
Why do we need TJ Watt when we've got Lukas Van Ness?
(ducks)
PhantomII
July 04, 2025 at 01:55 pm
We need a Luke Van Ness MONSTER sighting in GB.....GPG.
SwedeBayPacker
July 03, 2025 at 05:15 am
TJ Watt, you mean the player we SHOULD'VE drafted in 2017, instead of trading out of the first round so we could get a useless dumpster fire named Kevin King?
What an absolute clusterfuck of a decision, and I'll never be over it. We could've been set for years with Watt, but no. Better to outsmart yourself with a high risk, low reward gamble instead of going for the sure thing.