Getty The Green Bay Packers nearly landed three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, according to the 34-year-old.
The Green Bay Packers historically haven’t been a landing spot for top free agents, but one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history nearly chose to play for the historic franchise during the 2021 offseason.
That offseason, the Houston Texans parted ways with J.J. Watt after an iconic career with the AFC franchise, helping turn them into a playoff contender. While Watt eventually went on to sign with the Arizona Cardinals and play with them for two seasons before retiring, he revealed that a part of him wanted to play for Green Bay.
The 34-year-old made an appearance on the “Rise and Schein” podcast, and when asked about joining the Packers that offseason, hinted that it may have been a real possibility.
“There’s certainly a part of me that thought about [playing for the Packers],” Watt said. “There’s a story for another day…I can’t share. That’s a story for like a memoir someday. There was certainly a thought for that. It’s just sometimes don’t materialize in a way that it all is gonna, you know, sometimes it just doesn’t materialize.”
Born and raised in Pewaukee, Wisconsin before playing for the Wisconsin Badgers in college, Watt has always had close ties to his home state. Unfortunately, the superstar never had an opportunity to come back home to play for the Packers before hanging up his cleats this offseason.
Free Agents Who Have Landed in Green Bay
While the Packers have missed out on the likes J.J. Watt and Randy Moss in potential blockbuster moves over the years, the course of the franchise has changed a handful of times thanks to some major moves.
Reggie White remains one of the biggest moves in Packers history. After a phenomenal start to his career with the Eagles, White joined the Packers in 1993 and became a vital part of the team for six seasons, helping lead the team to a Super Bowl XXXI victory and a Defensive Player of the Year award in 1998.
Charles Woodson played a similar role two decades later, leaving the Raiders and joining the Packers prior to the 2006 season. Along with multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections, Woodson was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and was part of the Super Bowl XLV team led by a young quarterback named Aaron Rodgers.
Since taking over as general manager, Brian Gutekunst has been much more aggressive in free agency than his predecessor Ted Thompson. Big names in free agency including Jimmy Graham, Za’Darius Smith, Adrian Amos, and Preston Smith have been brought in to Green Bay. Meanwhile, Gutekunst’s pro personnel department has scooped up hidden gems in free agency like De’Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas.
Could J.J. Watt Come Out of Retirement?
At just 34 years old, Watt could theoretically come out retirement and still play for his hometown team, but don’t count on it.
Although some players have played well into their late 30s, injuries have plagued Watt throughout his NFL career. Over his last seven seasons, he played in eight or fewer games in four of them with injuries ranging from back, shoulder, and leg issues.
Watt seems more the content with his decision to hang up his cleats. He even recently joked that he was un-retiring from football after purchasing a minority stake in the English Premier League club Burnley.
With Watt diving into other interests off of the field, it looks like he’s firmly closed the book on a possible NFL comeback.