J.J. Watt was the face of the Houston Texans franchise during his 10 seasons with the team.
The pass-rusher, a former three time Defensive Player of the Year award winner and five time first-team All-Pro, announced on Friday that he had asked for his release from the team and that it was granted by the Texans.
Houston, once a Super Bowl contender in the AFC, seem to be in the process of a rebuild. The team traded away star receiver DeAndre Hopkins last offseason and are currently in the midst of a stare down with star quarterback Deshaun Watson. It may only be a matter of time before he is sent elsewhere in the league. Adding to the Texans’ problems is their current cap situation. Releasing Watt freed up over $17.5 million in cap space, but the team still has work to do in this area.
Watt, soon-to-be 32, can now decide where he will play next. Pittsburgh and Green Bay are among the early favorites for Watt’s services. The Steelers already have Watt’s brothers, Derek and T.J., on their roster while the Packers would be a return home for the former Wisconsin star. Both could ultimately end up being Watt’s home, but national NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes the Buffalo Bills are the best fit for the star player.
Watt has stated that he simply wants to win and the Bills make plenty of sense for that reason alone. The team made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game this season and are poised to be a contender for the foreseeable future with Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and company.
READ MORE: Could Texans’ J.J. Watt land with Bills this offseason?
Buffalo’s biggest issue in the championship game was getting after Patrick Mahomes. That’s where Watt would come in. The defender has 101 career sacks and 282 quarterback hits in his career. Despite having only nine sacks over the past two seasons, Watt has still been one of the best defenders in the league according to Pro Football Focus. The analytics site noted that Watt has finished in the top-10 at his position both seasons.
From a culture standpoint, Watt fits the type of player that GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott look for on and off the field. Simply put, Watt fits “the process.”
Cap space could be an issue for the Bills at first glance, but the team could free up money by cutting the likes of John Brown, Mario Addison, Vernon Butler and Quinton Jefferson. Watt’s asking price is unknown, but it should be significantly less than the $17.5 million he was due to make this season with the Texans.
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February 13, 2021 at 03:17AM
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Bills ‘best fit’ for J.J. Watt, says national NFL analyst - syracuse.com
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