More than two weeks after he requested and received his release from the Houston Texans, J.J. Watt appears to be zeroing in on his next team. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year has reportedly gotten several lucrative offers since hitting the open market, and now the veteran pass rusher is hinting he’s narrowed his wish list to three teams. As several on social media pointed out Monday, Watt has updated his bio on Peloton, the workout subscription service, to reference the Bills, Browns and Packers.
As of Monday morning, Watt’s bio read simply: “SB56 … GB … CLE … BUF.” The abbreviated description couldn’t be much clearer: The longtime Texans standout is aiming for a trip to Super Bowl LVI in 2021, and he apparently expects to do so with one of the three listed teams. NFL insider John Clayton had previously suggested the Bills and Packers were among the front-runners for Watt’s services, though Clayton also included the Tennessee Titans as contenders for the five-time Pro Bowler, and they were nowhere to be found in the defensive end’s Peloton bio.
All three of the teams Watt mentioned were expected to pursue pass rushing help in the 2021 offseason. All three were also playoff contenders in 2020, with the Bills and Packers advancing to their respective conference championship games. Cleveland, meanwhile, is projected to have the most salary cap space of the three teams, entering free agency with an estimated $25.7 million to spend.
The 31-year-old Watt spent the first 10 seasons of his NFL career in Houston, where he twice led the league in sacks and earned a unanimous selection to the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team.