J.J. Watt Latest Update Should Excite Green Bay Packers Fans

J.J. Watt enjoyed a stellar career hounding opposing quarterbacks as a member of the Houston Texans. Watt asked for his release after 10 seasons with the team as the Texans find themselves in disarray. He is being courted by several teams and the latest update might be making some Green Bay Packers fans smile.

J.J. Watt is a star and a fan favorite

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Houston is the only place J.J. Watt has called home in his 10 years of playing in the NFL. Watt, a 6-foot-5, 288-pound defensive end, played his college football at Wisconsin. He was a first-round pick in the 2011 NFL draft when the Houston Texans selected him with the 11th overall pick.

For the first five years of his NFL career, Watt started all 16 games each season. He burst onto the scene in his second season and led the league with 20.5 sacks, earning the first of his four consecutive Pro Bowls. Not only did Watt lead the league in sacks, but he also was tops in tackles for loss with 39.

In 2014, Watt matched his career-high in sacks with 20.5 and then collected a league-high 17.5 in 2015. Since 2016, however, his career has been marred by injuries and he’s had a combined 26.5 sacks in five years. He had 16 of them in 2018 when he made his fifth Pro Bowl. Watt has been very active in the community and has been a fan favorite both in Houston and around the league.

Watt asked for his release after the 2020 season

J.J. Watt knows his time in the NFL is running out. He’s battled through injuries and he’ll be entering his 11th season when the NFL kicks off in 2021. The Houston Texans are undergoing a major change, bringing in a new coach and general manager, and quarterback DeShaun Watson has publicly stated he wants to be traded.

Watt doesn’t have time for drama or a rebuild. He asked the Texans to release him in and they obliged. “I have sat down with the McNair family and I have asked them for my release, and we have mutually agreed to part ways at this time,” he said in a video posted to Twitter on Feb. 12. “I’m excited and looking forward to a new opportunity.”

During the season, Watt told ESPN he was looking to win a championship and not rebuild. The Texans had made the playoffs four of the last five seasons but had four wins in 2020. “I don’t think it’s any secret that I don’t have 10 years left in this league,” Watt said in November. “I’m not looking to rebuild. I’m looking to go after a championship, and that’s what I want to do.”

Green Bay Packers fans might be smiling after latest update

J.J. Watt will be a wanted man this offseason. During a recent radio interview, Longtime NFL Insider John Clayton recently reported there were three teams that would be considered the favorites to land J.J. Watt. Clayton mentioned the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, and the Tennessee Titans. Clayton did clear things up on Twitter.

“People are misinterpreting what I said on radio today,” Clayton wrote. “I said Tennessee, Green Bay and Buffalo were the leading teams for J.J. Watt but not the final three. Watt hasn’t narrowed his list. The Cleveland Browns are still in. So are the Raiders. He has a dozen teams after him.”

According to a post by Odds Shark on Sunday, the Packers were the favorites to land Watt. Green Bay was +175 to bring in Watt, while the Cleveland Browns were second at +225, followed by the Bills at +300. Watt is still a wanted man and will be during free agency, but for the moment Packers fans can take some pleasure knowing the oddsmakers have Green Bay as the leading destination for Watt in 2021.