The Houston Texans dropped a bomb on the NFL world on Friday morning by announcing that they released future Hall of Fame defensive end J.J. Watt, mutually agreeing to part ways with the superstar and allow him to find a contender to play with.
Before we get too far down the road… No, he isn’t coming to Washington. They don’t need him, with Chase Young and Montez Sweat already holding down the position. For proof of that, look at how little DE Ryan Kerrigan was used in 2020, and realize that Washington is not a landing spot for Watt.
However, this does bring us to our main point: What does that Watt availability mean for Kerrigan? Is there a chance that he receives less attention now that there is a better pass-rusher on the open market?
The answer is yes, and unfortunately so for Kerrigan. With Watt now able to sign wherever he pleases, the top teams in the league who need a pass-rusher are going to do everything they can to sign No. 99, rather than No. 91. In essence, Kerrigan simply got knocked down a peg on the free-agent scale for veteran rushers who could contribute to a Super Bowl contending team. Does this mean that he won’t get signed by a new team? Definitely not. Does it mean that he may have to take less money and maybe even compete for a starting spot? Probably, yes.
There is also the consideration that he may return to Washington, especially if he realizes that the FA market is pretty dry for him. Washington has their two starting spots locked down already, but Kerrigan proved in 2020 that he can contribute in a meaningful way as a situational edge rusher, and it would also allow him to continue his legacy as one of the best players to ever wear the Washington uniform.
We will see how everything unfolds over the coming weeks, but Kerrigan’s future is once again uncertain, and it could lead to some big opportunities for Washington.
