For 12 seasons, J.J. Watt was one of the NFL’s very best pass rushers, and he helped put the Houston Texans on the map for most of his career.
The Texans were a fledging expansion franchise when they drafted him in 2011, but he had a big hand in getting them to their first postseason and six playoff appearances in his 10 seasons with them.
Today, the Texans are on the rise again, and they made a big splash in free agency by signing star pass rusher Danielle Hunter away from the Minnesota Vikings.
Hunter wore No. 99 while with the Vikings, but he said he will wear No. 55 with Houston since No. 99 belongs to Watt, and Watt couldn’t help but compliment Hunter on Twitter.
“A guy I would have loved to play alongside. Nothing but respect,” Watt tweeted.
A guy I would have loved to play alongside.
Nothing but respect.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 14, 2024
Hunter spent each of his first eight seasons in Minnesota, and during that time, he accumulated 87.5 sacks, 134 quarterback hits, and 108 tackles for loss, and he led the NFL with 23 tackles for loss in 2023.
Now, he will be joining a team that is well ahead of schedule in its rebuilding process.
Houston went 3-13-1 in 2022, and many expected them to miss the playoffs again last year, but instead, they won 10 games and took down the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud emerged right away as a star, and he helped wide receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins become absolute studs.
The Texans also acquired running back Joe Mixon, a Pro Bowler in 2021, and they’re starting to take on the look of a possible Super Bowl contender, if not in 2024 then soon afterward.
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