The Pittsburgh Steelers, at +275 odds, have the inside track to sign defensive end JJ Watt because two of his younger brothers already play for the team. The race is on to sign Watt after the Houston Texans released the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The Green Bay Packers are the second-favorite to sign Watt at +300 odds, according to BetOnline.
Watt spent 10 seasons with the Houston Texans. The Texans are in the early stages of a rebuild while mitigating a public relations disaster. Quarterback Deshaun Watson requested a trade, but newly-appointed and highly-controversial general manager, Nick Caserio, insists on keeping the disgruntled quarterback.
| Who Will Sign JJ Watt? |
- Pittsburgh Steelers +275
- Green Bay Packers +300
- Buffalo Bills +400
- Cleveland Browns +500
- Tampa Bay Bucs +550
- Baltimore Ravens +1000
- New England Patriots +1200
- Dallas Cowboys +1400
- Indianapolis Colts +1400
- LA Rams +1400
- San Francisco 49ers +1400
- Las Vegas Raiders +1800
- Miami Dolphins +1800
- Tennessee Titans +1800
- Seattle Seahawks +2000
- New York Giants +2500
- Kansas City Chefs +2800
Watt appeared in all 16 games this past season, but he’s missed 32 games during the last five seasons due to a multitude of injuries. He’s had so many injuries (back, leg, knee, pectoral) it would be easier to write about what parts of his body aren’t ailing.
Brotherly Love and the Contenders
The Pittsburgh Steelers have the inside track on Watt because two of his younger brothers, Derek and TJ, already play in Steeltown. A potential trio of Watt brothers is the reason why the Steelers are the favorite at +275 odds to snag the eldest Watt.
Hey, if you’re not really going to win a championship, why wouldn’t you want to finish out your career playing alongside your brothers?
The Steelers had a sizzling start to the season, but struggled in December. They finished the season 12-4 and were bounced in the postseason by the Cleveland Browns. If Watt wants to play in the AFC North, then he should consider the Browns. They went 11-5 last season and won one playoff game before getting knocked out of the divisional round. The Browns are +500 odds to sign Watt as the fourth-highest team on the board. Watt and Myles Garrett would be one deadly combination for the Browns.
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers had an unstoppable offense, but their defense sunk them for the second year in a row when they were knocked out of the NFC Championship game. Watt will vastly improve their pass rush.
The Buffalo Bills saw their magical season come to an end in the AFC Championship. The Bills Mafia has Super Bowl aspirations, which is why Watt is +400 odds to join the Bills.
The Tampa Bay Bucs are +550 odds to get Watt because the Bucs have $20 million in available cap space.
Pats, Browns, Cowboys Also Love Watt
The Baltimore Ravens got hot in the second half of the season, but they could use an edge rusher to help apply pressure against AFC North quarterbacks like Big Ben, Baker Mayfield, and Joe Burrow.
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have ample cap space to sign Watt at $65 million. But Belichick doesn’t like to overpay for players past their prime, and the Pats desperately need a quarterback.
“He’s long, strong, powerful, very quick,” assessed Belichick. “His experience and anticipation is outstanding, and you really have to be mindful of the tricks JJ has up his sleeve.”
The Dallas Cowboys are loaded with their own internal problems, but never underestimate Jerry Jones. He could make Watt an offer he can’t refuse in order to keep him in the state of Texas. The Cowboys are +1400 odds to land Watt, and are lumped together with the Indianapolis Colts, LA Rams, and San Francisco 49ers.
The Colts have bigger needs to fill at quarterback, and you know times are getting desperate in Indy if they’re considering Las Vegas Raiders backup QB Marcus Mariota.
The Rams made a risky all-in move to win the Super Bowl by leveraging their draft capital for the net few seasons to acquire Matt Stafford in a trade with the Detroit Lions.
The Niners look like they’ll stand pat with Jimmy G, but could they double down on their defense by adding Watt? DraftKings recently posted a “Where will Jimmy G play next season?” prop bet.
Watt Dreamers: Vegas, Miami, Seattle, KC
Six teams are listed at the bottom of the JJ Watt odds at BetOnline, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants, and Kansas City Chiefs.
The Raiders are trying to figure out what to do with their quarterbacks, but it looks like Jon Gruden will stick with Derek Carr for one more season and shop Marcus Mariota.
The Miami Dolphins are one of the favorites, along with the New York Jets, to land Watson in a trade with the Texans. Could Watson and Watt reunite in South Beach? Watt heading to the Dolphins pays out +1800.
The Tennessee Titans were the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL for the past two seasons, and no one gave them their due respect. Perhaps adding Watt to their defense can get them the nod they deserve as one of the top teams in the AFC?
The Seattle Seahawks are trying to clean up the mess after quarterback Russell Wilson indicated that he’s sick of their crappy O-Line. Numerous teams are constantly calling Seattle to see if they want to trade Wilson. Do they want to try to win one more title with Wilson? Watt isn’t on the O-line, but he’ll definitely improve Seattle’s defense.
The Kansas City Chiefs would love to bolster their defense with Watt, but they’re long shots on the board at +2800 odds. Without Watt, the Chiefs are still the consensus favorites to win Super Bowl 56.
