Big time news broke on Friday, as the Houston Texans announced that they would be just straight up releasing (eventual) Hall of Fame pass rusher J.J. Watt after the dude spent the entire 10 years of his career in Houston. The man is one of the most decorated defensive players of all time – no doubt about that. He’s a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a five-time first team All-Pro selection, a five-time Pro Bowler, two-time NFL sack leader, Walter Payton Man of the Year Award recipient, and a card-carrying member of the 100 sacks club.
I don’t know what’s going on in Houston right now – it’s an absolute shit show. They’re burning that bitch to the ground. They gave Bill O’Brien the keys to the kingdom and then acted surprised when he ran it into the ground. They traded away one of if not the best wide receiver in football for the corpse of David Johnson. Deshaun Watson wants out. They hired a guy responsible for one of the worst passing games in the league to be their next head coach. On a recent episode of Raw Room, Daren Bates talked about guys coming up to him and saying they were glad he was getting out of there when the Texans released him. Now, they’re just releasing a guy that has been one of the best in the league for the last decade for absolutely nothing. I can’t believe it – like, I can’t look away from this shit right now. What will the Texans do next?
But, considering that he happens to play a position of great need, and the fact that Mike Vrabel got to coach this dude for quite awhile, Titans fans naturally took to Twitter to start speculating whether or not Watt would make sense for the two-tone blue. To be fair, Titans Twitter does this for just about every free agent name on the market….but as it turns out, there might actually be some interest. In this case, I say why not? The Titans should absolutely be exploring every possible option at the pass rush position.
The question that us hard-nosed journo types have to ask is whether or not it would work in Nashville. I dug my heels in on Jadeveon Clowney this time last year…even went as far as to say he was the “missing piece” on this Titans defense. “Clowney makes them a Super Bowl contender,” I believe were my exact words. So, maybe I’m not the guy to be weighing in on this. But, I’m going to anyway since I own this website.
It is completely reasonable to wonder aloud whether or not Watt is completely washed. His last ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ award came in 2015. He’s only played a full season twice since then, struggling with a myriad of injuries. One of those seasons was 2018, and that was a pretty damn good season for Watt. He posted 16 sacks and had a career high seven forced fumbles. The second of those two seasons came in 2020, but he only had five sacks, and rarely looked like the dude that dominated the league in the early 2010s. I don’t see many people arguing that whoever gets him is getting prime J.J. Watt, and fans of whichever team that ends up being shouldn’t get their hopes up about it. One standout season since 2015 shouldn’t inspire game-changing confidence.
But, hear me out – let’s be petty af in this situation. Let’s pay this man….whatever he asks for…and just envision for a second that Watt actually comes to the Titans. He gets six sacks against the Texans on the season, getting his revenge and destroying our hated rival in the process. I’m here for it. I’m a happy Titans fan if that happens. He can take the rest of the year off, actually….as long as he comes to Nashville on a mission to eviscerate the Texans. Hell, those can be the only two games he plays next season and I’d be cool with it. Just….y’know…down with the Texans. That’s the shit that’s in my blood.
Real talk – the Titans need to draft pass rush heavy this year…but that’s not all. They also need a veteran presence in that rotation, too. I’d rather see Carl Lawson, a guy that can sign to a healthy contract and keep around for a few years. But, Watt wouldn’t necessarily hurt on the right deal. Am I crazy for saying this? Watt, Lawson, -AND- early draft pick? I wouldn’t get my hopes up though, Titans fans. It seems like a pipe dream, and I’m not sure that Watt can be the anchor piece the Titans need. My guess would be that he either ends up with the Steelers to play with his brothers, or the Packers to play with his hometown team.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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