3 Most Likely Destinations for J.J. Watt in 2021

J.J. Watt's historic tenure with the Houston Texans could be nearing its end. The signs have been there all year. He's publicly criticized the organization throughout the disastrous 2020 campaign and has openly acknowledged his future is uncertain.

From Houston's perspective, the team clearly needs to rebuild – something Watt has said he does not want to do – and the Texans don't even have the money or draft assets to do so effectively. But they can get out of Watt's deal with no dead money this offseason, making him one of the few assets they do have.

Whether it's via trade or Houston grants his release, it's really looking like Watt will be playing elsewhere in 2021. Here are the most likely destinations for the future Hall of Famer in 2021.

3. Buffalo Bills

If Watt wants to contend for a Super Bowl as he closes out his career, he might want to hitch his wagon to the Josh Allen hype train. Allen is no longer just a tantalizing prospect – he's a perennial MVP candidate for the next decade. Behind Allen's insane play, the Buffalo Bills boast the third-best Super Bowl odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, and both he and the team are still young and should only get better next season. Watt is a perfect fit for what Sean McDermott wants to do defensively, as one of the most dominant and versatile D-Linemen in the league. Even at 31 years old, Watt still received a top-eight grade among all qualified edge defenders from Pro Football Focus. Adding Watt would solidify Buffalo's status as a top-three team in the NFL.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

With J.J.'s younger brother T.J. Watt leading the way, the Pittsburgh Steelers already have one of the best pass-rushing units in the NFL. Adding J.J. into the mix would almost make this group unfair. Pittsburgh is comfortably atop the league in pretty much every pass-rushing metric, like sack rate (9.6%), pressure rate (33.8%) and QB hits (136). J.J. could also help offset the potential loss of sack artist Bud Dupree, whose future is uncertain as an impending free agent coming off a torn ACL. Plus, he'd get to play with his younger brother on a legit contender. It'd be a natural win-win move for both sides.

1. Green Bay Packers

Watt joining up with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers is a long-rumored option for the Wisconsin native. Though it's always felt like a bit of a pipe dream for the Green Bay faithful, and more the type of thing you'd see on Packers' message boards or comment sections. However, it now appears to be a real possibility. Green Bay checks a lot of boxes for Watt. He'd get to play for a Super Bowl contender as a hometown hero, and the Packers' defense desperately needs someone of Watt's caliber. Green Bay is a bottom-10 defense in terms of pressure rate (21.5%), and it's an issue that may prevent the Packers from winning it all in 2020. Pairing Watt with studs like Za'Darius Smith and Kenny Clark could instantly turn a weakness into a real strength for the Packers.

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.