Titans among teams with interest in Watt
Former Texans defensive end J.J. Watt could potentially remain in the AFC South Division and square off against his old team twice a year.
Tennessee general manager Jon Robinson acknowledged Tuesday that the Titans have conducted preliminary conversations with the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year who was released by the Texans on Friday.
Watt, 31, is looking to play for a Super Bowl contender and has a good relationship with former Titans coach and former Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel.
Other teams frequently linked to Watt, a Wisconsin native: the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers with his younger brothers, T.J. Watt and Derek Watt, Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“We’ve had some contact,” Robinson said. “It’s early. We know his skill set and what he has meant to the Texans. We’ll see where it goes.”
Former Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins made a sales pitch to Watt on Instagram by posting a photo of the former Houston teammates hugging accompanied by the caption “Let's finish what we started.”
Watt was officially released Friday when the Texans terminated his $100 million contract. He was due a nonguaranteed $17.5 million base salary in 2021.
Watt, who has a franchise-record 101 career sacks, led a bad defense last season with five sacks and 17 quarterbacks hits last season while forcing two fumbles and returning an interception for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions.
Girl in Reid crash wakes from coma
A 5-year-old girl left critically injured and in a coma following a crash this month involving Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid is now awake, her family said in an online post.
The news was delivered Monday in a brief post on the GoFundMe page for Ariel Young, who has been hospitalized since the Feb. 4 crash.
Reid, who is the the son of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, was the team’s outside linebackers coach. He is now no longer employed by the team as his contract expired in recent days and was not renewed.
Kansas City police said the crash happened when Reid’s truck slammed into two vehicles on the side of a highway entrance ramp, injuring Ariel and another child inside one of the cars.
Police said Reid told investigators he had “two or three drinks” and had a prescription for Adderall when the crash occurred. Police have said they are investigating whether Reid was impaired.
Odds and ends
The Texans, under new coach David Culley, have retained defensive assistant Deon Broomfield and offensive assistant DeNarius McGhee. Broomfield and McGhee were hired last year by former coachgeneral manager Bill O’Brien. …
The Carolina Panthers are releasing two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short, who has played in just five games over the last two seasons due to injuries to both shoulders. …
Miami Dolphins All-Pro kicker Jason Sanders signed a $22 million contract extension through 2026.