The first time J.J. Watt spoke about his former Houston Texans teammate of four seasons, Deshaun Watson, and the three-time Pro Bowler being named the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback, he chose his words carefully.
Watt did the same when asked again on a national platform, but he was simultaneously more open with his thoughts.
Like many others, Watt will be keeping an eye on Watson.
J.J. Watt ‘Going to be Watching’ Deshaun Watson
Watt was already with the Texans when the organization drafted Watson, and he departed in 2020, two years before Houston traded the QB to the Browns. He said he was “not surprised.”
He highlighted a key part of that trade, Watson’s extension, as a key factor in the QB race.
“I would say I’m not surprised. It kind of seems like this is the way they have been going all offseason and training camp. And I would say, in terms of if things are close at all in a competition: we all know if things are close, when you’re paying somebody $230 million fully guaranteed, that’s the person that you’re going to want to give every single opportunity to to, hopefully–somehow, some way–make you right on that contract that many people question and say is one of the worst in history,” Watt said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on August 28.
“Now, the second part … is the question that everybody has is how long is this going to last, and how good will he be? And who knows? I don’t know the answer to that, but I’m certainly going to be watching.”
Watt uttered similar sentiments while visiting the Texans during training camp last week, then in reaction to the QB’s postgame press conference during which he called out fans for booing him.
He had a better experience during the Browns’ preseason finale.
J.J. Watt Feels for Browns Fans
Watt took a moment to rehash how the Browns got into their current situation, noting the trade with the Texans for Watson is only one factor.
“It’s tough. They haven’t been able to find their quarterback there for a very, very long time,” Watt said. “Baker Mayfield was there for a bit, goes on and finds success elsewhere, and they replaced him with Deshaun, and the injuries and everything else that comes along with it–and the stories and all of it. There’s no question they’ve been going through it up in Cleveland for a long time. They have a really, really good fanbase. And for them, you want to see them be successful. If this is the way that they feel is best, we’ll see.”
Mayfield was notably a speculative target for the Texans. However, that was when uncertainty and speculation around C.J. Stroud was at a much higher level than it is ahead of the regular-season opener.
The Texans also take solace in knowing they remain on the fight side of the Watson trade.
Texans Get Strong Words Over Blockbuster Trade
Watson had the unfortunate honor of being named to the list of the NFL’s worst contracts in “recent memory” for the deal he received in his trade from the Texans.
“Watson doesn’t just have the honor of the worst quarterback contract of all time. He is also the holder of the worst NFL, and maybe the worst sports, contract of all time. To make matters worse, Cleveland had to part with enough draft picks to essentially rebuild the Houston Texans into Super Bowl contenders,” USA TODAY’s Nick Brinkerhoff wrote on August 27.
“The Browns … couldn’t move on from Watson even if they wanted to. He is getting every penny, whether the United States Mint produces the physical coin or not. And that makes him the perfect $230 million option to quarterback our team.”
The Texans not only avoided paying Watson, but they also set themselves up well.
J.J. Watt Sends Clear Message About Former Texans Teammate Deshaun Watson