TEMPE, Ariz. Free agent JJ Watt has agreed a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals, the team announced on Monday.
Terms were not disclosed, but a source told Adam Schefter, ESPN, that the deal was worth $ 31 million and $ 23 million guaranteed.
Before the Cardinals announced the deal, Watt announced the news by sharing a photo on Twitter:
source: ek. pic.twitter.com/1Y6okQBUy5
– JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 1, 2021
Watt, 31, was released by the Houston Texans, who granted his request on Feb. 12 and ended his 10-year career with the franchise.
Four days later, Watt’s former Texas teammate and current Cardinals coach DeAndre Hopkins posted a photo of himself and Watt photoshopped in a Cardinals uniform on Instagram with the caption: “Let’s finish what we started. . “
Watt will be reunited with Vance Joseph, the Cardinals’ defense coordinator, who was Houston during the first three seasons of Watt.
In Arizona, Watt will be combined with Chandler Jones, who has led the NFL in pockets since he was drafted in the first round in 2012 with 97. The second is Watt with 95.5.
In 2020, according to ESPN Stats & Information, Watt finished 15th out of 119 qualified passengers in passing speed. He ended the season with five sacks, two forced whispers and an interception that he returned for a touchdown. He has recently been plagued by injuries as he has only played 16 games in a season twice since 2015.
After the Texans in 2011 Watt with the no. Drafted 11 picks, he became the face of the franchise and from 2012 to ’15 won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. Watt is one of three players to have won the award three times.
Watt was a five-time Pro Bowl pick and a five-time first-team All-Pro. Watt was by far the most productive forward in the history of Texans with 101 career pockets.
ESPN’s Sarah Barshop contributed to this report.