J.J. Watt might come out of retirement to play for the Texans
Was there a possibility J.J. Watt would come out of retirement to play for Ryans?Watt would freely admit to working out at the facility when discussing Houston’s accomplishments on the Pat McAfee show on a weekly basis. Derek Barnett eventually filled Houston’s critical need for a third pass rusher, and after the Texans were guaranteed a spot in the postseason, the fit made sense.
As Watt revealed on the Pat McAfee show this week, fans weren’t too far from realizing their dreams.”Halfway through this last season, I definitely was monitoring the Steelers and Texans situations but it never escalated into any sort of actual potential,” Watt stated.
“I’m really happy with how things went,” he continued. If there was a way I could have filled a need and elevated someone to a new level, anything that could have helped them reach the Super Bowl. It would have been absurd to accomplish it alone.”
If Watt had been able to play alongside his brothers or if the Texans had been a strong Super Bowl contender instead of a tenacious underdog in the postseason, it sounds like he would have given it serious thought.
Even still, it’s intriguing to hear the Texans Ring of Honor player and eventual Hall of Famer acknowledge that it was considered during the year.
Houston’s pass rush will need to be strengthened in different ways going forward. Both midseason newcomer Derek Barnett and breakout player Jonathan Greenard are unrestricted free agents. As Ryans attempts to put up a defense worthy of the Super Bowl, it will be interesting to see whether they can partner up another player with rising star Will Anderson.