Possible Best Landing Spots for J.J. Watt
In his prime years, JJ Watt, arguably one of the best defensive linemen of all time, was an impact superstar on defense that could change the outcome of any given play. In his historic 2012 campaign, Watt recorded 20.0 sacks, 81 tackles (69 solo, 39 for loss), 4 forced fumbles, and 43 QB hits. He recorded the incredible 20.0 sack mark yet again during his illustrious career, this time in 2014. But over the recent years, the questionable mismanagement of talent and operations for the Houston Texans organization has led to disappointing seasons and mounting frustrations from players despite having elite playmakers. Franchise quarterback DeShaun Watson is currently very unhappy with his situation in Houston considering the lack of, and previously traded away, talent that now has the Texans sitting as one of the worst positioned teams to win a championship in the NFL. These factors, as well as the decline of production and increase in age for Watt comes to no surprise of his release in Houston. Despite this, he can still provide skill, leadership, and past production that would bolster any NFL squad’s defensive line. Since he is an extremely hot name to follow in free agency, let’s look at some realistic landing spots for the 3X Defensive POY and 5X All-Pro.
The 101-career sack getter could fit in any defensive system to be candid, but there are a few teams that could certainly use his presence. The Tennessee Titans pop up as a very interesting fit as they were one of the worst teams in the NFL at getting to the quarterback. With a promising offense lead by OPOTY in Derrick Henry, a formidable defensive boost could push the Titans into the contender conversation. How about the Green Bay Packers? Born in Wisconsin himself, Watt would be very welcomed into an already solid defense and obviously a team lead by 2020 MVP Aaron Rodgers. Considering their window to the Super Bowl is shortening and their last two exits late in the playoffs, this could be a very smart move by the Packers to try to win one now. Another team that really makes sense is the Pittsburg Steelers as younger brother, and star himself, TJ Watt is a force on their defense. Watt would likely take slightly less money to play alongside his brother to make a daunting edge rushing pairing as well as the intrigue that the Steelers could still win the SB with Tomlin and Roethlisberger. One more team that really stands out is the Buffalo Bills. After an amazing year overall and a massive leap from QB Josh Allen, this team could really use some veteran fire, especially on the defensive line to help put them over the top as well.
It will be fascinating to see where Watt ends up considering all of the known teams to have inquired about him so far. Watt will most likely sign a short-term deal with a team and look to prove that he is still worth a luxurious investment.