The Houston Texans have put together an impressive body of work this offseason, and they appear intent on building off of their impressive 2023 campaign. And yet for all the players they have gone out and added over the past few months, there are still rumors swirling around that legendary defensive lineman JJ Watt could potentially unretire, which is something that many fans would love to see happen.
Watt retired after the 2022 campaign, and ventured into the world of sports broadcasting in his first year off the field. However, there have been some rumors floating around suggesting that he could potentially unretire in an effort to return to the Texans and help out their defensive line. Watt hasn't exactly shut the door on those rumors, but he did double down on just how unlikely it is that he will end up making a comeback with Houston.
“If it came down to an absolute dire situation where they needed someone to help out, then I would do that. But I don’t think people fully understood how much stuff would have to happen for that scenario to play itself out and it’s so highly unlikely…I mean I’m very comfortable and happy, I’m so comfortable and happily retired.” – JJ Watt, The Pat McAfee Show
Texans shouldn't bank on JJ Watt coming out of retirement
The door is still open for Watt to unretire if he wants to, but he's made it clear a couple times that he's in no rush to return to the field, and he outlined just how bad things would need to get for Houston in order for him to make that return. Simply put, the team should not be banking on him to unretire, because unless their defensive line ends up getting torched by injuries, it isn't going to happen.
Chances are Watt could make a return to action for the Texans and be an immediate contributor as a pass rusher, as he racked up 12.5 sacks in 2022 with the Arizona Cardinals, proving he still could play at a high level. He's not the guy who won three Defensive Player of the Year awards over a four-year stretch from 2012 to 2015 anymore, but he could still be an impact player in pass-rushing situations if he felt the urge to give it one more go with Houston.
However, it just doesn't seem all that likely to happen. Will Anderson Jr. is one of the best up-and-coming defensive lineman in the game, and the Texans went out and signed star pass rusher Danielle Hunter in free agency to form one of the top d-line duos in the league. So while the door is being left open to an extent, Watt makes it clear that fans shouldn't expect to see him on the field anytime soon, even if the offer is on the table for his longtime team.
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