The Houston Texans are preparing for an exciting upcoming season and have made some significant moves during the offseason to achieve their ultimate goal of winning the championship trophy. They started by signing the talented Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon and then added the dynamic Pro Bowl wide receiver Stephon Diggs to the team. Now, the excitement is at an all-time high as they have a chance to reunite with former Texan, J.J. Watt.
Watt, who is now a successful broadcaster working for CBS Sports, opened up about a potential return to the NFL while hosting his charity softball game over the weekend. The former three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year stated that he would consider coming out of retirement only if the Texans needed him.
“I’m a very fortunate, lucky man, I have a beautiful wife, and I have a beautiful son. I’ve had 12 great years in this league and I’m very thankful to have walked away healthy and playing great,” he said to reporters. “I told DeMeco Ryans last year: ‘Don’t call unless you absolutely need it, but if you ever do call, I’ll be there.’ And he knows not to call unless he absolutely needs it.”
Watt has a good familiarity with head coach Ryans. During his rookie season, Watt played alongside Ryans, who was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Texans as a linebacker. After that, Watt spent the subsequent nine seasons playing for the Texans before moving to the Arizona Cardinals, where he played his last two seasons.
“He knows if he truly does need it, I’ll be there for him,” Watt said. “But I don’t anticipate that happening because they have a very good crew. I hope that everybody stays extremely healthy, and they dominate, and they don’t need any bodies, and I just get to watch and enjoy it from the couch.”
Although Watt, 35, played his last NFL game in 2022, he has maintained his shape, but he said don’t expect him to make this offer again.
“This is the last year I’ll tell him that because I’m not going to keep training the way I’ve been training.”
On Monday, May 6, during the Texans’ 21st annual charity golf tournament, where they raised more than $440,000 for its foundation, coach Ryan responded to Watt’s comments about rejoining the team.
“I love to hear J.J. saying he’s ready,” Ryans said via SportsRadio 610’s Sean Pendergast. “I’ve got his number ready to go just in case we need him. … I may need to make that call, so I’m happy that it’s open from him.”
According to Fox Sports, the Texans ranked 14th defensively last year. This year, they plan to get better. As part of their offseason efforts to improve their team, the Texans made some significant defensive acquisitions in addition to the star-studded players they added to their offense.
They landed one of the best edge rushers in the game, Danielle Hunter, who has been a Pro Bowler four times and was previously with the Minnesota Vikings. They managed to secure Hunter on a massive two-year, $49 million deal. In addition to this, they also signed Denico Autry, a veteran defensive lineman from the Tennessee Titans, on a solid two-year, $21.5 million deal.
On top of that, the Texans will still have Will Anderson, the reigning defensive rookie of the year, who the team expects to get better during his sophomore season.
The Texans also used this past draft to primarily focus on strengthening their defense. They selected Kamari Lassiter, a defensive back from Georgia, with their 42nd overall pick, followed by Calen Bullock, a safety from USC, with the 78th overall pick. The Texans then added Jamal Hill, a linebacker from Oregon to their team with the 188th overall pick. They also picked Solomon Byrd, an edge rusher from USC, with the 238th overall pick, and Marcus Harris, a defensive tackle from Auburn, with the 247th overall pick.
If the Texans fail to improve, coach Rayns may have to consider adding the future Hall-of-Famer, Watt, to their roster. Throughout his career, the Texans’ 11th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft has established himself as one of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history. In addition to winning the Defensive Player of the Year award three times, Watt has been selected to five Pro Bowls and earned five First-Team All-Pro honors, all accomplished in 128 games as a member of the Houston Texans. Overall, he finished ranked 24th in league history with 114.5 career sacks, 2nd in Tackles for Loss with 191, only behind Terrell Suggs, 1st in Tackles for Loss per game with 1.28 over his career. He had 449 solo tackles, 137 assists, 17 fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and six total touchdowns in his career.
Reporters followed up by asking Ryans what specific circumstances would be necessary for him to make the call. Although he dodged the question, he jovially sounded eager to bring back Watt.
“I need him now!” Ryans said with a chuckle. “I need to make that call right now. Anytime J.J. Watt’s ready to go, I’m ready to go.”
In Ryans’ first season as the Texans’ head coach, he put the league on notice. After a struggling 3-13-1 season in 2022, the team improved to a record of 10-7 in 2023, winning the AFC South and earning a spot in the playoffs. The team also had the two best rookies on their roster, Anderson and C.J. Stroud. Anderson won Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Stroud won Offensive Rookie of the Year and became the first rookie quarterback since Mac Jones to participate in the Pro Bowl.
With all the additions to the Texans roster, they should be in contention to win the Lombardi trophy this year, but if they so happen to regress this year, we might see Watt back in a Texans jersey. Until then let’s see how the roster pans out. On paper, it looks good, but they still have to make it happen on the field.
