It’s been a hectic offseason for the Houston Texans, which are in the midst of reckoning with the fact that Deshaun Watson does not want to play football for them anymore even though he is one of the five-best quarterbacks on earth and they would really prefer to not lose him. According to recent reports, though, Watson may not be the only franchise stalwart who could use a change in scenery.
A trio of reporters from NFL Network bring word that J.J. Watt’s future with the franchise could be up in the air. Ian Rapoport and Mike Garofalo claim that while the team is dealing with the Watson situation is ongoing, the Texans would want to figure out what to do with their defensive cornerstone, with the sentiment being that it might make sense for him to continue his career somewhere else.
From @GMFB Weekend: While the focus for the #Texans has been on the future of QB Deshaun Watson, they also know that star JJ Watt deserves clarity on his situation as well, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo. Watt has been the face of the franchise for the last decade…
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 30, 2021
As the #Texans continues to undergo a facelift, the team knows it will have a decision on Watt. The sense from me and @MikeGarafolo is that it might make more sense elsewhere. https://t.co/TSVyy5AiKd
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 30, 2021
James Palmer of NFL Network went on to report that it goes further than his colleagues believe: Conversations with those in the organizations reveal a belief that Watt’s tenure with the team is over.
The belief with teammates and coaches I’ve spoken to is that Watt has played his last game as a Texan. A few told me that was the mood in the locker room after their final game. https://t.co/vBsrflwyf4
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 30, 2021
While trading Watson would obviously be franchise-altering, Watt is the greatest player in the Texans’ relatively short history, and moving on from him would mark the end of an era. The team selected him in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and in his tenure in Houston, Watt has done just about everything a defensive player can do. He’s been a first or second-team All-Pro selection eight times, was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year thrice, recorded 101 sacks, and was an unanimous selection for the NFL’s All-Decade team. The connection between Watt and the city is strong, too, as he won the league’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2017.
It is worth mentioning that Watt is in the final year of his contract, and if the team wanted to embark on a gigantic rebuild, it would make sense to not tie up a ton of cash in someone who will be 32 in March. Still, the concept of Watt playing anywhere other than Houston would be incredibly strange, even if it’s hard to imagine that the league’s other 31 teams would love to bring him on board.