Wisconsin Football: Top 5 landing spots for J.J. Watt

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Dec 13, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (10) avoids Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) to complete a pass in the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports /

J.J. Watt was released by the Houston Texans on Friday morning. Watt posted a video on Twitter explaining that it was a mutual decision. It is easy to understand why Watt would be interested in moving on from Houston. They are at the start of a major rebuild, something a veteran without a ring would like to avoid.

According to Spotrac, J.J. Watt has over $100 million in career earnings, and that’s not including money from sponsorships. So when thinking about what teams he would sign with, I don’t think we can rule out teams that have limited space. At this point in his career, I would assume he would value location and a chance at getting a ring.

There are rumors he would like to get back into the Midwest. He is from Wisconsin (duh) and his wife plays professional soccer for the Chicago Red Stars. I’m sure that would be another reason he would like to get back to the area.

So where could Watt Sign? Should he value money or a ring, or both? Here are the top five potential landing spots for J.J. Watt.

Honorable Mention

Chicago Bears
Since his wife is in Chicago, why wouldn’t he want to be where she is? It’s close to Wisconsin, he will be in the Midwest and possibly play for a contender.

When you think of the Chicago Bears, you don’t automatically think of a team that has a shot to win the Super Bowl, but you do think of a great defense. They have great players at all three levels of the defense. Akiem Hicks anchors the defensive line. At linebacker, they have Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan, and Robert Quinn. In the secondary, they have Kyle Fuller at cornerback and Eddie Jackson at safety. This defense is very talented. Adding J.J. Watt would make them that much better.

Right now, the offense is up in the air, and by offense, it’s mostly the quarterback position. What are they going to do? If you keep Trubisky starting, you are paying your backup a ton of money. Neither option showed a ton last season.

If they can pull a trade for a player like Carson Wentz and he plays as he did a few years ago, this could become a lot more dangerous. That alone could be appealing to a player like Watt.