JJ Watt has been the face of the Houston Texans franchise for a long time now. Amidst the trade rumors of Deshaun Watson, Watt’s future with Houston is also up in the air.
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#Texans star JJ Watt, appearing on the Tonight Show with @jimmyfallon, was asked about processing our report that he could be headed for a divorce with the #Texans: “I process it by going to Hawaii for a week. I probably should have stayed there.”https://t.co/1sF9BWMS3A
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 1, 2021
Watt has played his entire career in Houston where he became one of the most feared players in the league. He racked up three defensive player of the year awards and multiple Pro Bowl and All-Defensive team selections. It’ll be interesting to see where Watt could end up.
Does JJ Watt Want to Leave the Texans?
Firstly, it’s important to consider where Watt’s heart lies. He’s given everything to this Texans organization since he was drafted in 2011, but for a player of his caliber, he hasn’t won much. The Texans have won multiple AFC South titles and have made it to the divisional round of the playoffs too, but that’s where it ends.
This is something that absolutely irks Watt:
“And your goal can’t be to make the playoffs. Your goal can’t be to win one or two playoff games. If your goal is not to win the Super Bowl, and your goal is not to do everything in your power to make that happen, and make your organization in the best possible situation for that, then that’s not going to happen.”
Watt also added earlier this season that he’s “not looking to rebuild” according to ESPN. Therefore, it looks like Watt does want out of this situation. Multiple times this year, he took shots at the Texans’ lack of motivation and focus as they stumbled to a 4-12 record:
I don’t know if @JJWatt has a nickname. You can call him #TheMayor after this. There’s the actual mayor, and then people who just have that adopted town presence. If I was a Texans fan or lived in Houston, I’d run through a wall if he told me to do it. What a speech! https://t.co/PEP9QZEt8e
— Jim Greene (@FJGreene) December 28, 2020
He even apologized to Deshaun Watson after the final game of the regular season. Of course, Watson’s situation with the Texans is much more turbulent, but these kind of actions go to show how Watt knows the Texans aren’t where they need to be to compete for a Super Bowl.
“I’m sorry we wasted one of your years… I’m sorry”
JJ Watt to Deshaun Watson.
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) January 5, 2021
What About Watt’s Contract?
Watt has one year left on his contract with Houston. After 2020, he will still make $17.5 million even if the Texans move on as that’s part of his guaranteed money.
Therefore, from a money standpoint, it wouldn’t make sense for the Texans to let go of Watt just yet. Unless Watt has a situation like Watson where he actively demands a trade, it’s very likely that the star rusher will stay for at least one more year.
Also read: What’s Next for the Atlanta Falcons After A Disappointing 2020-21 NFL Season?
