Former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt was due to make $17.5 million in 2021, the final year of his contract. At age 31 and presumably entering his post-prime years, the fact the money wasn’t guaranteed made him a bittersweet cut option for the salary cap-strapped Texans.
The release also gave the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year the opportunity to find a more competitive team that could give him a shot at playing in a Super Bowl, something other three-time defensive players of the year, Hall-of-Famer Lawrence Taylor and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, have done.
According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, the offers Watt is getting from other teams isn’t as much as he would have made with Houston — $15 million to $16 million annually compared to $17.5 million with the Texans in 2021.
JJ Watt has received several offers from teams. The best offer he has received right now is between 15-16 million per year, per sources.
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) February 25, 2021
Watt would be willing to take a pay cut if it meant he had a shot at championship. If the Texans weren’t in the salary cap situation they are in, perhaps Houston would have found a way to keep their face of the franchise in the 2010s.
