Cardinals Sign JJ Watt: What It Means for the NFL Star, Arizona and the Houston Texans

Story posted March 6, 2021 in CommRadio, Sports by Ethan Cook

The 2021 NFL offseason just got more interesting. Another blockbuster trade has occurred and it was somebody that nobody had ever thought they would be seeing in another NFL uniform.

The NFL world was in shock after finding out that Houston Texans defensive end JJ Watt was released. All of the NFL had been waiting to find out where Watt would be stopping next.

It is now well known where he will be moving to. Watt is moving from the AFC South to the NFC West.

The Arizona Cardinals and Watt agreed to a two-year $31 million deal on Monday, March 1, 2021. Watt had tweeted a picture of him working out in a Cardinals t-shirt after the deal had been finalized on Monday.

Over his career with the Texans, Watt had 531 tackles, 122 assisted tackles, 101 sacks, two interceptions, 99 yards, and two touchdowns. Watt is also a five-time pro-bowl selection, a Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner and a three-time defensive player of the year.

Could this be the beginning of a major exodus of star players from the Houston Texans organization? It could be because Watt is not the only franchise star who wanted to leave the city of Houston.

It is also well known that Deshaun Watson wants to be traded from the Texans as well. Another star that was traded from the franchise is Deandre Hopkins, who is currently playing for the Arizona Cardinals.

All of this comes after both the Deandre Hopkins trade and the departure of former head coach and General Manager Bill O’Brien.

So, what is next for Watt and for the Texans? Let’s start with the Texans.

The Texans are in full rebuild mode now. The team hired David Culley to be the new head coach back in January and the Texans are going to have to use the draft to find future stars.

It will take many years for the Texans to finally get back into the postseason with the way things are going right now. The Texans are not expected to do much this upcoming season because they are in the same division as the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans, two teams that had made the playoffs last season, while the Texans had a record of 4-12 to end the season.

The Texans made the playoffs recently in the 2019 season, but do not expect them to go to the playoffs anytime soon. The Texans will have to rebuild the entire team from scratch if they want to reach the postseason.

What’s next for Watt? Well, a change of scenery might be what he needs. Watt will not only reunite with former teammate, Hopkins, but he will also be able to play with many other NFL stars.
These stars include quarterback Kyler Murray, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, defensive back Patrick Peterson, and the list goes on. Watt will have the opportunity to finally have the chance to win a Super Bowl ring in the near future.

Watt will also be able to play in a very tough NFC West division with the 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks who all are usually big contributors in the NFL playoffs every year.

So how does this signing affect the Cardinals? This is nothing but beneficial for the organization.

The Cardinals are gaining one of the top defensive linemen in the league, improving their defense. This could be the year that the Cardinals finally get to the NFL postseason for the first time since the 2015 season.

However, it will take a lot more than just this signing in order for the Cardinals to reach that position and we will have to wait and see what the future holds for the franchise.

The Cardinals are one step closer to making the postseason with this signing.

We could be in for some more huge blockbuster deals and big-time free agent signings within this offseason. But we will have to wait and see.


Ethan Cook is a Senior majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact him, his email is ejc5565@psu.edu