3 Dark-Horse Destinations for J.J. Watt in 2021

The Houston Texans are releasing superstar defensive lineman J.J. Watt, and he could be on his way to a contender. 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 be looking for a new home in free agency.

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 franchises to be vying for his services this offseason.

While teams like the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers will be floated as logical destinations for Watt this offseason, there are plenty of other teams that make sense for him as well. With that in mind, here are three dark-horse destinations for J.J. Watt in 2021.

J.J. Watt Free Agency Destinations 2021

3. Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns need to find a legit pass-rusher to put opposite of Myles Garrett now that Olivier Vernon is likely to walk in free agency after tearing his Achilles. Watt certainly fits the bill. The Browns have a lot of holes on the defensive end, but having Watt and Garrett wrecking opposing gameplans would cover up a lot of them. With over $29 million in available cap space, the Browns can afford to make a move like this. A signing of this magnitude would immediately vault Cleveland into true Super Bowl contender status. Plus, getting to play his brother T.J. twice a year would certainly be a nice bonus.

2. Baltimore Ravens

Keeping things in the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens are another interesting potential destination for the 32-year-old. Baltimore already has one of the nastiest defenses in the league, but Watt could take this unit over the top. The Ravens are in danger of losing pass-rusher Matt Judon via free agency, so signing Watt would be a nice way to offset that (and then some). With about $28 million in space, don't be surprised to see the Ravens make a real run at the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

1. Los Angeles Rams

Financially, it's tough to see this actually happening. The Los Angeles Rams are currently $25 million over the cap, giving them the third-worst cap situation in the league heading into 2021. But that's never stopped GM Les Snead in the past. He has a knack for landing splashy, big-money players even when the odds are stacked against him, as we just saw him do with Matthew Stafford. That Stafford addition makes this team a legit Super Bowl contender, though, and that's something that should really appeal to Watt. Besides, Aaron Donald and Watt playing on the same defensive line would be one of the most fun defensive pairings in recent memory. If they can agree to a team-friendly deal, or Snead finds a way to work his magic, the Rams would be one of the most dangerous teams in the NFC.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk free for up to $1,000!

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.