The Houston Texans have granted defensive end J.J. Watt’s request to be released, and his brother T.J. is already suggesting a new home for him.
“I have sat down with the McNair family and I have asked them for my release and we have mutually agreed to part ways at this time,” said J.J. Watt in a video he shared on Twitter. “I came here 10 years ago as a kid from Wisconsin who’d never really been to Texas before. And now I can’t imagine my life without Texas in it. The way that you guys have treated me, besides draft night. I mean, you guys booed me on draft night. But every day after that, you treated me like family. And I truly feel like you’re my family.”
Watt was drafted by the Texans all the way back in 2011 with the No. 11 pick, later becoming an integral star player on the team. During his time with the team, he won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. “I’m excited and looking to a new opportunity,” he continued. “I appreciate you. I appreciate the McNair family for drafting me and giving me my first opportunity in the NFL.”
In a very simple tweet, his brother T.J. Watt seemed to suggest that he should make his next destination the Pittsburgh Steelers. Attaching a gif of the Rock beckoning, it’s definitely seems like where T.J. thinks J.J. should go. If he were to act on his brother’s suggestion, all three Watt brothers in the NFL would be on the same team.
“Change is never easy, especially when it involves the ones you love. J.J.’s impact on not only our organization, but the entire Houston community, is unlike any player in our franchise’s history,” said Texans Chair Cal McNair in a statement, via ESPN. “I told J.J. earlier this week that we will forever consider him a Texan. We take solace in knowing that this is not a goodbye but a ‘see you soon.’ For now, we will build upon the foundation that J.J. created here and forge ahead with our unwavering mission to bring a championship to our city, create memorable experiences for our fans and do great things for Houston.”
Throughout the most recent season, J.J. Watt indicated he was looking to join a new team amid the Texans’ rebuild.
