J.J. Watt leaves door open on potential Texans return amid unretirement rumors

“I told DeMeco last year. I said, ‘Don’t call unless you absolutely need it. But if you ever do call, I’ll be there.’ And he knows not to call unless he absolutely needs it,” Watt said. “This is the last year I’ll tell him that ’cause I’m not gonna keep training the way I’ve been training. But he knows that if he ever truly does need it, I’ll be there for him. But I don’t anticipate that happening. They got a very good crew.”

Watt stressed that he doesn’t want to see the Texans be in such a desperate spot that they call for him, as it would mean the defensive line has been wrecked by injuries. He wants to just “watch and enjoy from the couch” but would be ready to spring into action if disaster strikes and Houston needs him again.

J.J. Watt discusses potential return to Texans

Texans general manager Nick Caserio didn’t shut down the possibility of bringing Watt back but also left it entirely up to the three-time Defensive Player of the Year and the franchise’s all-time leader in sacks, forced fumbles and quarterback hits.

Watt is 35 years old, which is very senior for an NFL player. But six players of that age still recorded a sack last season, so it’s not totally unheard of for someone with so much mileage to get out there and make an impact. In a sport where numerous former superstars have unretired, it wouldn’t even be all that crazy for Watt to make a comeback.

What separates Watt from other comebacks like those of Tom Brady and Brett Favre is that Watt didn’t play last season. Although that keeps him a little fresher, it would also mean he has to get acclimated to the NFL workload again. He would certainly be in a role for depth rather than be made a starter right away, which is a good thing for both him and the team.

The Texans are in a good spot with their front seven with Anderson being supported by free-agency additions Danielle Hunter and Azeez Al-Shaair and 2024 rookies Solomon Byrd and Marcus Harris. They lost some key contributors but should still be good enough that they don’t have to call Watt.

Watt loves Houston to this day and is always going to hope for the Texans’ success. Whether he throws the navy blue and red back on remains to be seen.