MCCLAIN: WHAT’S NEXT?
Family ties, coaching relationships could pull in veteran defensive end
Since the Texans have granted J.J. Watt’s request to be released and he is free to sign with any team at any time, he should have a lot of options, including in the AFC South.
Watt turns 32 in March and will be playing in his 11th season. Releasing him clears $17.5 million in salary cap space for the Texans.
It’s no secret Watt wants to play for a Super Bowl contender before he retires. With the Texans, he played on six AFC Southwinning teams that won four wild card playoff games but never advanced beyond the divisional round.
Last season wasn’t fun for Watt or any of his teammates or coaches. The Texans plunged from a 10-6 division winner that won a wild card game in 2019 to a 4-12 disaster that’s become a team in constant controversy, beginning with Deshaun Watson’s trade demand.
Under new general manager Nick Caserio and coach David Culley, the Texans won’t be a Super Bowl contender, of course. They’re more likely to compete for the first pick in the 2022 draft than a playoff berth. Watt didn’t want to spend the last few years of his career in a rebuilding mode.
When analyzing NFL teams and where Watt could end up, a lot of teams seem like good possibilities. Keep in mind that issues like a team’s scheme, coaches, needs on defense and the salary cap should be taken into consideration.
I don’t believe money will rule Watt’s decision. He made more than $100 million with the Texans, and he’s cashed in on endorsements, too. Money always is important to any player, but I don’t expect to see Watt sign with a bad team just because it’s got enough cap room to offer him a monster contract.
We know Watt would like football to be fun again. Where could he have more fun than Pittsburgh, where his younger brothers, T.J. and Derek, play for the Steelers?
Coach Mike Tomlin already has an outstanding defense. He’s not looking for a starter up front, and the Steelers have a huge salary cap problem. Still, where there’s a will, there can be a way.
Watt has never tried to hide his respect for two of his former coaches, Mike Vrabel and Anthony Weaver. Vrabel is Tennessee’s coach, and the Titans are desperate to boost a pass rush that recorded only 19 sacks. Watt could step in and contribute immediately for the defending AFC South champions — not to mention playing two times a year against the Texans.
Weaver left the Texans for Baltimore in January. The Ravens are a Super Bowl contender that has a veteran defensive coordinator in Wink Martindale, whose players love to play for him.
Watt grew up in Wisconsin and owns a home there. He was a die-hard Packers fan. Perhaps coach Matt LaFleur would like to add Watt to his defense after losing the NFC Championship Game in each of the last two seasons.
When Tom Brady played for New England, veteran players flocked to the Patriots because they knew they’d play for a Super Bowl contender. Brady just won his seventh Super Bowl ring for Tampa Bay. The Bucs could lose defensive end Shaq Barrett, who said this week he hopes to break the bank on a new contract if he’s not franchised again.
Playing with Brady and for Bruce Arians, a players’ coach, in Tampa, Fla., might be enticing for Watt. Perhaps he could buy a yacht to sail around Tampa Bay.
Don’t rule out the Bears. Watt’s wife, Kealia, plays for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League. He’s spent a lot of time in Chicago since she was traded by the Dash.
If Watt wants to play with another great quarterback like Watson, he should consider Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes has led the Chiefs to the last two Super Bowls. Andy Reid needs to bolster his defense, including his pass rush.
Perhaps Watt would consider Buffalo if the Bills are interested. They’re a legitimate Super Bowl contender that should be nipping at the Chiefs’ heels next season.
If they’re interested in Watt, I wouldn’t rule out his signing with Indianapolis, Miami, San Francisco or Cleveland. Imagine Watt lining up every week opposite Browns’ defensive end Myles Garrett.
Decisions, decisions.
Watt will have to make a lot of them as he crosses teams off his list before he decides where he wants to finish his career.
What will a new team be getting in Watt?
Watt was the Texans’ best defensive player last season. He started 16 games and had a career-low five sacks because he had no help on the pass rush.
After Jadeveon Clowney was traded to Seattle by Bill O’Brien after the 2018 season, the Texans were unable to generate a pass rush on the opposite side to take some pressure off Watt.
Watt can play in a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. He’s best on the outside as an edge rusher. In passing situations, he also can slide inside to tackle and get an inside push.
Teams that are interested know they don’t have to worry about Watt’s character or work ethic. Both are legendary.
No matter what happens to the Texans next season or any season after that, they’ll never be the same without Watt, a three-time winner of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, tying Lawrence Taylor and Aaron Donald for the most in NFL history.
Cal McNair, the chairman and CEO, was asked Friday why they didn’t trade Watt for a draft choice rather than granting his outright release?
“We did evaluate all the options and thought this was the right decision for J.J. and the Texans,” he said. “It’s one that was mutually agreed on, and we felt doing the right thing by J.J. was important.
“Not every decision is easy, and they’re not always easily understood. We want to do what’s right by our players and our fans, and the focus is on bringing a championship to Houston.”
In 2011, his first season as the Texans’ defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips wanted to draft outside linebacker Aldon Smith. When the 49ers traded up to get Smith, Phillips lobbied for Watt.
General manager Rick Smith selected him, and Watt became the most popular player in franchise history. Watt and Oilers running back Earl Campbell are the most popular players in Houston football history.
“I’ll always remember what Coach Phillips said when asked if he thought J.J. would be a bust,” McNair said. “He said, ‘Yeah, a bust in the Hall of Fame.’ ”
Phillips was a football version of Nostradamus, because five years after Watt retires, he should be getting a bust in Canton, Ohio, as a first-ballot selection for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.