J.J. Watt became a free agency for the first time in his NFL career in 2021, and there were only a few organizations he wanted to play for.
Watt eventually signed with the Arizona Cardinals, but he recently acknowledged that if he hadn’t been in the desert, he would have loved to play with his hometown Green Bay Packers.
“I enjoyed being in Houston. “The people were unbelievable to me; it was fantastic,” Watt told TalkSport. “I grew raised in both Wisconsin and Green Bay. The Packers have a unique bond with their supporters since they are a community-owned organization in a small town, so that would have been extremely nice.”
Watt grew up in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, about two hours south of Green Bay. He starred at the University of Wisconsin, when he transitioned from tight end to defensive end and recorded 106 tackles, 36.5 tackles for loss, including 11.5 sacks in 26 games over two seasons.
The Packers signed 11 free agents in the 2021 summer, including two edge rushers, but they were unable to match the Cardinals’ two-year, $31 million contract, and his dream ending of retiring as a Packer was not to be.
“There’s a story for another day,” Watt remarked at the time, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I can’t share. This could be a story for a memoir someday. There was undoubtedly a thought about it. Things don’t always turn out the way you expect them to.
Watt was a five-time All-Pro, five-time Pro Bowler, three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and runner-up for NFL MVP in 2014 across 12 seasons. He led the league in sacks twice (in 2012 and 2015), and he retired as the Houston Texans’ all-time leader in sacks (101), forced fumbles (25) and fumble recoveries (16).
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