The Packers have been listed as a potential suitor for J.J. Watt, but at least one reporter is skeptical of the connection. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that the Packers “are not going to sign Watt.”
Silverstein specifically cites the team’s financial situation, noting that the organization has several of their own free agents who they need to re-sign. “Unless the market somehow collapses,” Silverstein believes the Packers wouldn’t be able to match Watt’s ultimate price tag.
The Packers have been mentioned as a potential match for Watt since November, long before he was cut by the Texans last week. Since he hit free agency, we’ve heard both pundits and bookies point to Green Bay as a landing spot, and SI’s Bill Huber definitively stated that the Packers “are one of the teams interested” in Watt. ESPN’s Ed Werder also tweeted this week that Watt’s “most important consideration” in choosing his next team (and winning a Super Bowl) was quarterback, making the Packers and Aaron Rodgers a natural fit. And, to top it all off, Watt is from Pewaukee, Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
While the Packers may not be a realistic suitor for Watt, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year isn’t struggling to find his next gig. The Bills, Browns, Titans, and Steelers have all been linked to the 31-year-old over the past week-plus.
While Watt’s getting up there in age, there are still some signs of encouragement. Sure, he finished with five sacks, his lowest total in a 16-game campaign … but the fact that he managed to appear in 16 games (for the second time in three seasons, no less) is encouraging on its own. He also graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 overall edge defender in 2020, with the advanced metrics site praising the veteran’s work against the run and pass.
Watt has to want to come home, Packers obviously won’t be the highest money offer.
I think it could work but it would be a big time commitment for packers. I’m guessing the idea would be to replace dean lowrie and Preston smith with Watt. Does that make us better? I think yes. Does the money line up? I don’t know.
Cutting those 2 saves $11.3m on the cap. Can’t imagine they’d want to pay J.J. much more than that.
With those 2 plus Kirksey and Wagner, they still need to shave a little more to get under the probable cap, and that doesn’t include resigning any of their own free agents, IF they intend to and can come up with the $.
Also, I’d like to see Preston back, with a restructured deal. He didn’t just tank last season. Pettine just insisted he could drop into coverage despite showing over and over it was not his strength. Hopefully the new DC can put him in position to succeed.
There’s also Adams and Alexander due for extensions, and Jaire will be getting a BIG raise.
I just don’t see where the money will come from to sign anyone significant.
If Watt really wants to play for Green Bay or Chicago, the money won’t matter. He’s already made a ton of it.
Don’t kid yourself….its always about the money….he won’t sign for anything less than what he believes he worth, and will sign with somebody that allows him to chase a ring.
This is never about “wanting to come home”…just a phrase commenters use to make their comments about.
I’m hoping Bills
Where’s the money
Jules Winnfield: “Say Watt again. Say Watt again. I dare you, I double dare you. Say Watt one more GD time!”
The Browns, Titans or Steelers aren’t winning a Super Bowl in the time he has left. He needs to go to Buffalo, KC , Packers , Bucs
The Browns can’t, but the Bills can? Please explain?
The Browns played the Chiefs better than the Bills even before Mahomes left and have tons of cap space to improve. If they score on that final drive vs. KC, they probably go to the Super Bowl. Or if the helmet to helmet is called and they don’t lose that fumble, who knows what happens. Why so certain?
I mean it’s an opinion thing, I don’t see the browns as serious contenders either, defense is just bad and baker is not a game changer, also they were negative on point differential and are likely due for regression, that being said they have a ton of talent and it’s certainly possible
Baker doesn’t need to change his game. As he was the Browns still almost beat the Chiefs in the playoffs. He played well this year. The Browns were a simple quality drive away from winning that game, which is pretty much a matter of circumstance in the NFL.
Josh Allen is way way better than Baker Mayfield
I’m not disputing Josh Allen being better right now, but I don’t think it’s a huge difference. Baker lost a year of development in the Freddie Kitchens era and thrived in Stefanski’s system. Next year will definitely tell us if he’s for real or not.
I just think that if the browns can shore up the defense, which appears to be the plan for this offseason, they’ll be a definite contender. No guarantee by any means, but even with a bad defense last year, they still were a good team. My only confusion with the original post was the certainty. I get people have different opinions. But if I said that I think the Jets will be super bowl contenders next year, I’d expect to get challenged on it.
And Allen might be a prime candidate for regression.
and so may Baker. Allen has shown improvement year after year and has an attitude that lifts the entire team.
Mayfield bounced back from a sophomore slump right into roughly the same territory he was in after his rookie season in both passer rating (mid-90’s) and PFF season grade (low to mid-80’s). Allen improved both years, but he had a long way to go after his rookie season, and took a gigantic leap this past season. We’ll see whether he can sustain that level of play. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see not all that much difference between the two of them next season, with Mayfield going up and Allen going down, a bit.
Or baltimore
Or baltimore
Or not! Baltimore is the worse team in their division.
How so? They are better than the Steelers and Bengals, and they beat the Browns twice last year, including destroying them once. Big Ben is done and was exposed late in the season.
I believe that they lost twice to the Steelers you can’t be the best until you beat the best. Lamar got stopped in the run game and got exposed as a substandard passer.
He’s never been a good passer, you can’t expose something everyone already knew. And the Steelers hardly beat anything. They were exposed terribly late in the season, barely beat the Ravens the first game and barely beat the Ravens second and third stringers later in the season.
He’s from Wisconsin, lives in his Wisconsin home i the off season, his parents live in Wisconsin, his wife plays out of Chicago (a little over an hour down the highway), he played for Wisconsin, he has always been a Packer fan (from growing up in Wisconsin). I wouldn’t write off the Packers, people.
If he doesn’t go to Green Bay I will have to drop the pictures of him with A Billygoat in West Branch, Michigan
If winning a Super Bowl is important to Watt, might as well cross the Steelers off the list
I bet he goes to Pittsburgh so he can play a year or two with both brothers.
I doubt it. He still lives in Wisconsin, and loves the Packers.
he also would like to play in February, something Aaron Rodgers knows little about with that 1-4 record in NFC championships. cross GB off the list
Does whatever dumpster fire team you are a fan of even make the playoffs? Or have a legit starting qb? If not, its kinda silly to bash 1 of the greatest qb talents in the history of the nfl.
I would love to see Watt on the Packers, but they simply don’t have the resources to make an adequate offer – unless one of their current free agents prices themselves off the team.
Whether GB signs Watt, Tom Silverstein knows next to nothing. King of the “anonymous” source, usually his own ramblings, supported by the fictional “league scout”.