Houston Texans: Picking up the pieces after release of J.J. Watt

Former three-time Defensive Player of the Year and franchise leader JJ Watt has asked for his release from the Houston Texans. Watt posted a video on Twitter early Friday morning informing the fans of Houston that he and the Texans “mutually agreed to part ways,” and that he anticipates finding a new opportunity elsewhere to continue playing in the NFL.

Although he is not the same caliber player he was a few years ago, Watt didn’t miss one game in 2020 and posted 52 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception. There will be many teams interested in signing the veteran defensive end.

Watt has been the face of the franchise since he was drafted 11th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. He was a special player not only because of his dominance on the field, but all the work he did off the field for the Houston community. The Texans are going to miss his presence in the locker room and his leadership on and off the field.

There have been rumors floating around since the trade deadline last season that the Texans might trade Watt, but nothing ended up coming to fruition. It certainly can’t be a coincidence that JJ asks to be released in the middle of all the drama surrounding Deshaun Watson wanting out, team president Jamey Rootes resigning this week, and ownership relieving many long-tenured employees of their duties in an abrupt fashion.

A question I’ve asked myself before: What is going on with Texans?

The Texans are attempting to build a culture solely around Executive VP of Football Operations Jack Easterby, who was originally hired in 2019. For whatever reason, team owner Cal McNair has been hypnotized by Easterby and is giving him full control of personnel decisions, even though McNair will deny that Easterby has been granted such power. It’s clear and obvious that Easterby is running the show here, or at least has meaningful input on the Texans decisions.

Does Easterby have anything to do with the Texans star players wanting out of town? It seems likely, but will Cal McNair ever come to his senses and see the toxicity he has brought into the organization in just 2 years? Probably not, and the chaos will continue.

Buckle up, Houston.