J.J. Watt, the star defensive lineman formerly of the Houston Texans, will be taking his talents to Phoenix in 2021. After weeks of fervent speculation about Watt’s plans or preferences, the player made his official announcement to join the Arizona Cardinals on Twitter on Monday afternoon.
source: me. pic.twitter.com/1Y6okQBUy5
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 1, 2021
Per ESPN reporter Adam Schefter, Watt’s contract with the Cardinals is a two-year, $31 million deal with $23 million guaranteed. That means he’ll be paid the roughly $15 million per year he was reportedly offered on the open market.
Watt, who had five sacks, 17 QB hits, and 52 tackles in 2020, was seen as a possible upgrade for Buffalo’s struggling edge rusher group. It was a down year by Watt’s standards, but those numbers would’ve ranked first among all Bills linemen this year.
Now that Watt is out of the picture, the Bills have to decide whether they’d be happy with one of the other options on the veteran market instead.