J.J. Watt has played for the Texans, and only the Texans, for so long that seeing him in a different NFL uniform would be jarring.
Depending on how the 2020 and 2021 seasons go, though, that's a reality that could be coming. Houston certainly has bounceback potential once it gets its head-coaching situation finalized, because having a quarterback as good as Deshaun Watson solves a lot of ills. But Watt has also spoken recently about the clock-ticking nature of his NFL career. The defensive end will want to see the Texans in contention to stay in town long-term.
"I'm not looking to rebuild," Watt said Nov. 5, according to ESPN. "I'm looking to go after a championship, and that's what I want to do. So, whatever is in the best interest of the Houston Texans, that's in the best interest of myself."
J.J. Watt's future with the Texans
Watt has been with the Texans since they selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The 2020 season marks his 10th with Houston. He described for ESPN in early November what the progression of those years can be like:
"Early in your career, you think life goes on forever. Obviously, we win our first-ever division, our first-ever playoff game in my first year. In the second year, we go 12-4, and you think that life's going to be great and you're just going to keep getting better and better. And then you go 2-14 and the reality of the business side of the NFL and the reality of all the things that come along with it hit you in the face. And you realize that, oh, this isn't all roses all the time. And then you look at the last seven years or so. And yeah, we won some division championships and that's great, but that's not the goal. That's not the goal.
"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. So that is my goal. That's why the work goes in. That's why I fought back from all these injuries. Because that's the goal, and that's what I'm still working towards."
Watt acknowledged that he knows he doesn't have another 10 years on top of the 10 he's spent with the Texans. But he said, "I personally believe that I do have a few more great ones left in me."
Injuries have been a limiting factor for Watt in the second half of his NFL career so far, as he only played double-digit games once between 2016 and 2019. He has played every game of the 2020 season so far, through 10 weeks.
Watt's production has been stymied by his limited time on the field. He was still dominant in 2018, when he played all 16 games, recording 16.0 sacks and being named First-Team All-Pro. But 2019 saw just 4.0 sacks in eight games, and Watt's total through 10 games in 2020 is also 4.0 sacks.
Nearly every Houston defensive snap this season has still featured Watt on the field, even if he's declined a bit and doesn't have the support around him to be quite as dominant. Watt has also heavily committed himself to doing good in the city of Houston, helping to rebuild more than 1,000 homes after Hurricane Harvey, so he's obviously ingrained in the city.
So from a playing standpoint and relationship standpoint, Houston can still certainly use Watt when he's healthy. It looks like it'll be more up to Watt's late-career pursuits, and his contract which we break down below, as to how long he lasts in Houston.
J.J. Watt contract
- Years remaining (after 2020): 1
- Guaranteed money remaining (after 2020): $17,500,000
It wouldn't make sense for the Texans to get rid of Watt at the end of 2020, because they'd still have $17.5 million to pay him either way. If they found a trade partner, that could conceptually be a possibility, but then they'd be trading away a top defensive player while Deshaun Watson is still in his prime on the other side of the ball.
The most likely breaking point for Watt and Houston would come after the 2021 season, when his contract expires. At that point, Watt will be able to consider his options for the first time since signing a six-year extension with the Texans in 2014. What he sees as the future of the Texans at that point as a free agent heading into his age-33 season could determine whether he's on the Texans in 2022.
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November 26, 2020 at 06:00PM
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Does J.J. Watt want to leave the Texans? 'I'm not looking to rebuild' as contract nears end - Sporting News
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