TEMPE, Arizona – JJ Watt, the free passenger, accepted a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals, the team announced on Monday.
The terms were not disclosed, but a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN that the transaction is worth $ 31 million and includes $ 23 million guaranteed.
Before the cardinals announced the deal, Watt broke the news by sharing a photo on Twitter:
source: me. pic.twitter.com/1Y6okQBUy5
– JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 1, 2021
Watt, 31, was released by the Houston Texans, who accepted his application on Feb. 12, ending his 10-year run with the franchise.
Four days later, Watt’s former Texan teammate and current Cardinals wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, posted a photo of himself and Watt photographed in a Cardinals uniform on Instagram with the caption: “Let’s finish what we started … . ”
Watt will reunite with Vance Joseph, the Cardinals ‘defensive coordinator, who was the Texans’ back coach in Watt’s first three seasons in Houston.
In Arizona, Watt will be paired with teammate Chandler Jones, who has led the NFL in sacks since he was drafted in the first round in 2012 with 97. The second in this range is Watt with 95.5.
In 2020, Watt ranked 15th out of 119 pass-rushers qualified in the pass gain rate, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He finished the season with five sacks, two forced kicks and an interception that he returned for a touchdown. He was recently injured by injuries, playing 16 games in a season only twice since 2015.
After the Texans drafted Watt with election no. 11 in 2011, he became the face of the franchise, winning three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2012 to ’15. Watt is one of three players to have won this award three times.
A five-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time All-Pro first team, Watt was by far the most productive passenger in Texan history with 101 career sacks.
Sarah Barshop of ESPN contributed to this report.