3 Contenders That Need to Sign J.J. Watt

The Houston Texans are releasing superstar defensive lineman J.J. Watt. Things had been trending this way for a while, but that doesn't make this news any less jarring. Now entering his age-32 season, Watt will surely be looking to link up with a team that gives him a real shot at a Super Bowl ring.

J.J. Watt Contract

Watt was in the midst of a six-year, $100 million deal he signed with the Houston Texans. He was set to make $17.5 million in 2021, but has since been released. He's an unrestricted free agent, so expect plenty of teams to be vying for his services this offseason.

With that in mind, here are three Super Bowl contenders that need to make a run at signing J.J. Watt.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In this scenario, the rich get richer. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers already have one of the nastiest defensive lines in the league, but that unit could look a lot different next year. Shaquil Barrett is set to break the bank in free agency, meaning he's not a surefire bet to return. Ndamukong Suh's future appears uncertain as well. Watt could be the perfect replacement in the event that one (or both) of those players walk in free agency. This is also the type of splashy, big-name acquisition Tampa Bay has been making ever since Tom Brady joined the team. Few teams would give Watt a better shot at a ring than the Bucs would.

2. Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers fans have been clamoring to get their hands on the Wisconsin native ever since he entered the league. But now that he's been released, it's one step closer to being a reality. It's not hard to see why Watt would want to go to Green Bay. He'd be a hometown hero with the chance to win a Super Bowl ring while filling a serious need on a weak Packers' pass-rushing unit. The financials could prove tricky, however, as Watt would likely need to take a sizable pay cut with Green Bay currently projected to be $21 million over the cap in 2021.

1. Buffalo Bills

Thanks to Josh Allen's ascendance, the Buffalo Bills look like perennial Super Bowl contenders going forward. The team came up just short this year, ultimately losing in the AFC Championship Game to the Kansas City Chiefs. If they're looking to get over the hump, the Bills will almost certainly need to address a pass-rushing unit that generated pressure at a bottom-10 rate (22.2%). Signing Watt would take care of that in a hurry. With a couple savvy moves, GM Brandon Beane should have no trouble freeing up enough space to sign Watt to a nice deal this offseason.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.