WATT A LOSS

J.J. Watt announces his release from Texans in heartfelt video

J.J. Watt announces his release from Texans in heartfelt video
So Watt's next? Composite image by Jack Brame.
Skip and Shannon lay out why JJ Watt's latest comments are so concerning

It was the news Houston Texans fans have been dreading. And so, it came from the hometown hero himself.

"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," J.J. Watt announced in a Twitter video on February 12.

Appearing in what appears to be his home or his getaway cabin, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and face of the team since 2011 described being "a kid from Wisconsin who had never been to Texas before.

Sporting a white cap and University of Wisconsin sweatshirt, he joked about being booed by Texans fans on draft night in 2011, but "...every day after that you've treated me like family and I truly feel like your family," he added.

Watt then said that he worked every day to earn fans' respect and make them proud on and off the field. "You guys have given me everything and more and I can only hope you feel like I've given you everything I have."

The future Hall of Famer expressed his love for this "unbelievable" city, noting that this is where he met his wife (soccer star Kealia Ohai) and made lifelong friends and teammates. He praised teammates, the front office, and the most humble of team staff.

He also gave a shout out to fans who would stop him everywhere, even those showing up at his house. "The connection is special," Watt said, adding that he would "never ever" take it for granted.

So Watt's next? The superstar said he was "excited and looking forward to a new opportunity," but added that it is "tough to move on." He thanked the team, McNair and family, adding a warm, "thank you Houston, I love you."

Watt is one of only three players in NFL history to win at least three AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards, in 2012, 2014, and 2015. He leads the league in tackles for loss (172), quarterback hits (281), multi-sack games (26) and sack yards (713.5), while ranking second in sacks (101.0). In 2020, Watt, who led the NFL in sacks twice (2012 and 2015), became the fourth-fastest player in NFL history to total 100.0 sacks, doing so in just his 120th career game, per team stats.

Famously in 2017, he raised a massive $41 million in Hurricane Harvey relief aid.

"Simply put, there has been no person in the past decade who has made a greater impact on the Texans organization than J.J. Watt," said co-founder and senior chair Janice S. McNair, in a statement.

Continue on CultureMap to learn more.

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
The Texans are the class of the division. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

The Houston Texans received a lot of praise for their moves in free agency across various outlets. And for good reason, most people believe the team got significantly better with the additions of Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Denico Autry among others.

But there's another factor to consider this offseason. How much have the other teams in the AFC South improved?

When looking at the PFF grades in free agency, the Colts received a B-minus. Most of the Colts moves this offseason involved spending a lot of money re-signing their own players. Which is great in theory, but it's hard to improve the overall quality of your roster when you're bringing back players that were already there to begin with. A lot will be riding on player development for the Colts to see a big jump this season. A healthy quarterback wouldn't hurt either.

The Jaguars have made some big additions financially this offseason by signing receiver Gabe Davis and defensive tackle Arik Armstead. They also lost the top receiver on the market, Calvin Ridley, to the Titans. Gabe Davis wasn't able to establish himself as a reliable No. 2 receiver with Josh Allen throwing him the ball in Buffalo. So it's hard to believe he'll take the next step in Jacksonville. Their best move of the offseason might have been retaining edge rusher Josh Allen by using the franchise tag on him. So what did PFF think of Jacksonville's offseason? They received a B-minus, just like the Colts.

The Titans have a lot of turnover heading into the 2024 season, and not just on the roster. They have a new head coach in Brian Callahan, who's looking to revamp Tennessee's offense. Early in free agency, they agreed to terms with former Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, signing him to a 3-year deal at $8 million per season. Which is more money than the Ravens are paying for Derrick Henry, who left the Titans in free agency. Calvin Ridley was the most notable addition to the squad, he received a 4-year, $92 million deal. And while this could be viewed as an overpay, at least he gives the Titans' offense some upside. Their receiving corps looks a lot more dangerous with Ridley added to DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks.

They also spent big at the center position, adding Lloyd Cushenberry on a 4-year, $50 million contract.

Because the Titans spent a lot of money on some highly coveted players, PFF gave them a B.

Now that brings us to the Texans. The Texans re-signed some of their own players like Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown. But they also made some big splashes with Hunter, Autry, Al-Shaair, and Joe Mixon. But the Texans spent their money in a more conservative way by not handing out many contracts over two years in length.

The Texans managed to add the best pass rusher in free agency with Hunter, but it's only a two-year deal. The overall talent level is going up on this roster, and GM Nick Caserio isn't having to sign players to long contracts that could come back and haunt him.

That's why we're seeing post-free agency power rankings coming out with Houston in the Top 10. And that's also why PFF gave the Texans an A for their moves in free agency.

Be sure to check out the video above as Craig from Sports Talk Extra takes an in-depth look at PFF's grades for the AFC South, and much more!

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome