NEWSLETTER
After JJ Watt squashed Twitter buzz that he was using his Peleton bio to name three finalists he was considering joining, it was only a matter of time before the air cleared regarding his next destination.
And for what it’s worth, it feels right that Watt took breaking the news into his own hands:
source: me. pic.twitter.com/1Y6okQBUy5
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 1, 2021
After ending things with the Houston Texans, Watt heads to the Arizona Cardinals, where he’ll be reunited with former Texans teammate DeAndre Hopkins. That’s a fun angle. I bet those two have some stories to share and catching up to do.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter chimes in to report it’s a two-year contract worth $31 million. Watt’s new deal includes $23 million guaranteed. That’s a healthy chunk of change for a two-year pact. Maybe it’s a sign that teams won’t be afraid to spend, even in a year with a shrunken cap.
Watt, 31, is a five-time Pro Bowler, five-time first-team All-Pro, and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Even with an injury riddled recent history, there figured to be a number of teams interested. But rather than join his brother in Pittsburgh, return home to Wisconsin and play in Green Bay, or be lured to Chicago by endless Portillo’s orders, Watt lands in Arizona. In other words, the NFC West gets a little bit tougher today. All the more reason for Russell Wilson to nudge the Seahawks into a trade out of that division.
In the end … it’s not the Packers. So yay!
