- The 35-year-old former DE and Ryans were teammates in ‘H-town’ in 2011
- The Texans have Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry as pass rushers
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JJ Watt has teased a sensational return to the NFL as he revealed he has already spoken to Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans about making a possible comeback.
Watt, who retired after the 2022 season, raised eyebrows at a press conference in Houston on Saturday before his annual charity softball game when he let everyone know that this is the last year he will consider coming out of retirement.
‘I’m a very happy, happy man, I have a beautiful wife, I have a beautiful son. “I’ve had 12 great years in the league and I’m very grateful that I left healthy and played great,” the 35-year-old told reporters.
“I told DeMeco [Ryans] last year: “It doesn’t matter unless you absolutely need it, but if you ever call, I’ll be there.” And he knows not to call unless he absolutely needs to.
‘This is the last year I’ll give him that, because I don’t keep training [the way] I’ve been training.’
JJ Watt, who retired two years ago, won three NFL DPOY in his 10 seasons with the Texans
Watt, 35, and Ryans were teammates with the Texans in 2011, which was Watts’ first NFL season and Ryan’s last in Houston.
Ryans was hired as the Texans’ coach in 2023 and led the team to the AFC South division title with a 10-7 record and a wild-card victory over the Cleveland Browns.
“He knows that if he really needs it, I’ll be there for him,” Watt continued. ‘But I don’t expect that to happen because they have a very good crew.
“I hope that everyone stays extremely healthy and that they dominate and that they don’t need any bodies, and that I can just watch it from the couch and enjoy it.”
Watt, 35, and his wife Kealia have become minority owners of Burnley since 2023
This offseason, the Texans signed Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry to bolster their pass-rushing group. Hunter recorded 16.5 sacks with the Vikings in 2023, while Autry had 11.5 sacks with the Titans.
What’s more is that ‘H-Town’ also features Will Anderson Jr. has, the third overall pick in last year’s draft, who had seven sacks in his rookie season.
Watt won a Defensive Rookie of the Year award and three Defensive Player of the year awards in his ten seasons with the Texans. By the end of his career, he had 114.5 sacks.
Watt is now an NFL analyst for CBS Sports. Since last year, he and his wife Kealia have been minority owners of English Premier League club Burnley FC.