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One of the biggest players in Texans history is a big believer in what his old team has become.
J.J. Watt, who retired from the NFL in 2022 after 10 years with the Texans and two with the Cardinals, called Houston “a top-tier destination” after the team’s recent moves over the past two seasons.
He pointed first at the decision to hire head coach DeMeco Ryans and draft C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. in 2023. A year later, the Texans signed defensive end Danielle Hunter and then traded for wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
“The last two off-seasons for the Texans have completely transformed the franchise,” Watt wrote on social media. “Houston is a top-tier destination.”
The last two off-seasons for the Texans have completely transformed the franchise.
DeMeco Ryans, CJ Stroud, Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, Stefon Diggs, etc.
Houston is a top tier destination.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) April 3, 2024
Watt enjoyed a decade of success in Houston. He won three Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2012 to 2015, made five Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams and led the NFL in sacks twice. Watt joined the Cardinals for two seasons in 2021 and 2022 before he retired from the league. He was inducted into the Texans Ring of Honor this past season.
While all the personal accolades are great, the Texans won just four playoff games during Watt’s career. And none that compare to the national attention and hype the Texans have drawn over the past two years with Ryans at the helm and Stroud and Anderson on the field. Ryans won the AFC South and a playoff game in his first season and lost the Coach of the Year Award by one vote. Stroud and Anderson won their respective Rookie of the Year Awards.
Houston pushed all its chips into the center of the table this offseason after general manager Nick Caserio dolled out $48 million guaranteed to edge rusher Danielle Hunter, traded for running back Joe Mixon and then acquired Diggs in a trade with the Bills. Those decisions elevated the Texans from a fringe playoff team to a Super Bowl contender almost overnight.
Watt was a fan of the Texans before, now he’s excited to see how quickly Houston can become one of the better teams in the NFL after all the moves they’ve made in recent years.