Watt has no desire to endure a rebuild
J. J. Watt acknowledged the awkward reality of his situation, underscoring where he stands one decade into a highly decorated career juxtaposed by the Texans’ uncompetitive status.
One of the top defensive players in NFL history, the Texans’ veteran defensive end knows he doesn’t have a ton of years left to play and that time is running out on his quest for a Super Bowl ring.
Playing for a1-6 squad that fired head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien and lacks first-round and second-round draft picks in 2021, Watt has no interest in being part of a lengthy construction project.
A tear-down rebuild doesn’t mesh with what the 31-year-old is looking to be a part of.
“I don’t think it’s any secret that I don’t have 10 years left in this league,” Watt said when asked if he wants to finish his career with the Texans. “I personally believe that I do have a few
more great ones left in me, but I’m not looking to rebuild. I’m looking to go after a championship, and that’s what I want to do.
“Whatever is in the best interest of the Houston Texans, that’s in the best interest of myself. I’m interested in winning a championship in this league. That’s every player’s goal.”
A three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Watt has never reached the AFC Championship Game.
The six-year, $100 million contract Watt signed in 2014 expires after the 2021 season, when he’s due a $17.5 million nonguaranteed base salary. The Texans can afford to carry Watt’s salary, but itwould make more sense to restructure his contract by converting all or a portion of his pay into a signing bonus and adding years to the deal to lower his salary-cap figure.
Watt was a popular subject of trade rumors heading into Tuesday’s trade deadline. However, he was not available for a potential trade, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly.
“There are obviously a lot of rumors going around,” Watt said. “There’s a lot of conversations that happen whether it’s within the building, between guys or whatever it is. Now that that’s over, there’s a lot of obviously definitiveness to that situation. There’s no more speculation. There’s no more distraction from that standpoint.”
The larger big-picture question is how Watt feels about the Texans’ fluid outlook as they look to hire a new general manager and coach.
Watt made it abundantly clear he isn’t interested in weighing the merits of candidates vying for the two vacancies. The Texans are being run by interim general manager Jack Easterby and interim head coach Romeo Crennel.
“How could I get excited about something I don’t know?” Watt said when asked if he’s excited about the prospects for the jobs. “I have no clue who they are. I have no clue what their ideas or philosophies are. I have no clue who the candidates even are. So I can’t say I’d get excited about something that I don’t know.”
Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is in a different stage of his career than Watt. Signed to a fouryear, $156 million contract extension, Watson has time on his side. Like Watt, though, Watson doesn’t want to experience years of losing while trying to rebuild draft capital and become a contender again.
“I don’t viewit as a rebuilding,” Watson said. “Every year is a new year. It’s a new team. People are going in and out. People are getting traded. People are going and signing different contracts in free agency. Coaching changes, all types of different things. It’s just a stepping stone that we’re just figuring out the right pieces to the puzzle.
“I agree with J. J. I don’t want to sit here and change everything, but I do want to win the championship eventually. We’ve got a longway to go, and we’ve got a lot of work to put in, so that’s our main focus.”
Watt’s body language and terse words, especially after a loss to the Green Bay Packers, have told the story of an angry, frustrated man whose patience is at an end.
“Obviously, where we are in terms of record isn’t acceptable and shouldn’t be acceptable,” Watt said. “I think that if you aren’t angry or upset or frustrated about it, then that’s when something’s really wrong.”
Watt has recorded three sacks this season, giving No. 99 a total of 99 career sacks. He has one
forced fumble, three tackles for losses and six quarterback hits, maintaining a high standard of play. Placed on injured reserve three of the previous four seasons, Watt has remained healthy this year.
What has also remained healthy is his gritty desire to win something significant after so many years of coming up short.
“Early in your career, you think life goes on forever,” Watt said. “Then you go 2-14, and the reality of the business side of the NFL and the reality of all the things that come along with it hit you in the face. You realize that, ‘Oh, this isn’t all roses all the time.’ You look at the last seven years or so,
and yeah, we’ve won some division championships, and that’s great, but that’s not the goal.
“Your goal can’t be to make the playoffs. Your goal can’t be to win one or two playoff games. If your goal is not to win the Super Bowl and your goal is not to do everything in your power to make that happen and make your organization in the best possible situation for that, then that’s not going to happen.
“That’s why I fought back from all these injuries. Because that’s the goal, and that’s what I’m still working toward.”
“I personally believe that I do have a few more great ( years) left in me, but I’m not looking to rebuild.” Texans defensive end J. J. Watt