HOUSTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 03: J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans leaves the field following a game against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium on January 03, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
J.J. Watt’s wild free agency ride is finally over. The talented edge rusher has surprised the NFL with his choice to sign with the Arizona Cardinals.
Texans fans might not want to watch the Cardinals play in 2021. J.J. Watt’s decision to join DeAndre Hopkins in Arizona makes that franchise a legitimate Super Bowl contender while Houston remains the laughingstock of the NFL.
Texans fans can take comfort in the fact that Watt didn’t take a cut-rate deal to take his talents to the desert. The Cardinals will pay the future Hall-of-Famer up to $31 million over the next two seasons, according to Ian Rapoport. This is clearly an all-in move by Arizona to take control of the NFC West.
J.J. Watt reunites with DeAndre Hopkins with the Arizona Cardinals
It’s reasonable to assume that Watt opted for the most lucrative offer available to him in free agency. Earlier on Monday, he used social media to inform the world that the Packers, Browns and Bills led the race for his services. The Cardinals went from the fringes of the chase to the finish line in record time.
The former Texan reunites with DeAndre Hopkins and Vance Joseph in Arizona.
Watt’s arrival in Arizona is an effort by the Cardinals’ front office to make their defense strong enough to make a deep postseason run. Adding edge-rushing help wasn’t the franchise’s top need heading into the offseason, but they viewed the chance to add a player of Watt’s caliber as too much to pass up. He’ll team up with Chandler Jones to give the Cardinals a dynamic duo off the edge to get to the quarterback.
Now the Cardinals will shift their focus on strengthening their secondary through the NFL Draft. Watt’s presence in the front seven should help take pressure off the team’s corners, but it would be a surprise if Arizona doesn’t use at least one premium selection to obtain a new starting defensive back.
It will be interesting to see if Watt’s decision to head to Arizona encourages other veteran free agents to do the same. The Cardinals could become a prime destination for free agents who want to go ring chasing this offseason. Landing him in free agency is huge for this franchise both on and off the field.