All-Pro Watt, sinking Texans agree to split
HOUSTON — J.J. Watt didn’t just play for the Houston Texans, he was the Houston Texans.
The physical embodiment of a young franchise lacking much of an identity before the burly Wisconsin kid donned that No. 99 jersey, Watt wowed the football world with his defensive prowess.
Now he’s gone, and a team already in the midst of unprecedented upheaval faces a future more bleak.
“I have sat down with the McNair family and I have asked them for my release and we have mutually agreed to part ways at this time,” Watt said Friday in a video on social media.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year and 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year has spent his entire career with the Texans after being drafted 11th overall in 2011. The star defensive end had one year remaining on a six-year, $100 million deal.
“The connection I have with the people of Houston is special, and I will never take that for granted because I know how rare it is,” Watt said in the video. “I just want you to know that I love you and I appreciate you.”
Along with his contributions on the field, Watt was lauded for his humanitarian efforts after raising more than $40 million for Hurricane Harvey relief in 2017.
Watt’s departure comes in an offseason in which the Texans have hired coach David Culley and general manager Nick Caserio to replace Bill O’Brien, who held both jobs and was fired after an 0-4 start in 2020. They’re also facing uncertainty at quarterback because standou t Deshaun Watson requested a trade.
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