J. J. Watt - Pro Football Rumors

Watt, Bryant, Others Get Salary Guarantees

March 13th, 2016 at 6:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Several NFL players have contracts containing language which states that they’ll get a full or partial salary guarantees for 2016 and/or 2017 if they remained on their respective teams on Sunday, the fifth day of the league year. Let’s check in on those players (link courtesy of CBS Sports’ Joel Corry):

Ryan Tannehill, quarterback (Dolphins): $3.5MM of $17.975MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
Dez Bryant, wide receiver (Cowboys): $13MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
T.Y. Hilton, wide receiver (Colts): $3MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed. $6MM roster bonus now payable.
Anthony Castonzo, offensive tackle (Colts): $2.5MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed. $4.5MM roster bonus now payable.
Tyron Smith, offensive tackle (Cowboys): $10MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
Branden Albert, offensive tackle (Dolphins): $6MM of $8.245MM base salary for 2017 is guaranteed.
Mike Pouncey, center (Dolphins): $9MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed, as is $2MM of Pouncey’s $7.95MM base salary in 2017.
Maurkice Pouncey, center (Steelers): $3.5MM roster bonus now payable.
Cameron Heyward, defensive end (Steelers): $5MM roster bonus now payable.
J.J. Watt, defensive end (Texans): $10.5MM base salaries for 2016 and 2017 are guaranteed.
Robert Quinn, defensive end (Rams): $7,777,777MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
Lavonte David, linebacker (Buccaneers): $5MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.
Chris Harris Jr., cornerback (Broncos): $6.9MM base salary for 2016 is guaranteed.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2015 NFL Award Winners

February 7th, 2016 at 8:19am CST by Rory Parks

The NFL announced this season’s award winners at last night’s “NFL Honors” event. The complete list can be found here, but the highlights are as follows:

AP Most Valuable Player:
Cam Newton, QB, Panthers

AP Offensive Player of the Year:
Newton

AP Defensive Player of the Year:
J.J. Watt, DE, Texans

Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year:
Jameis Winston, QB, Buccaneers

AP Offensive Rookie of the Year:
Todd Gurley, RB, Rams

AP Defensive Rookie of the Year:
Marcus Peters, CB, Chiefs

AP Coach of the Year:
Ron Rivera, Panthers

AP Comeback Player of the Year:
Eric Berry, S, Chiefs

Walter Payton Man of the Year:
Anquan Boldin, WR, 49ers

2016 NFL Hall of Fame Class:
Brett Favre, QB; Kevin Greene, LB; Marvin Harrison, WR; Orlando Pace, OL; Tony Dungy, coach; Ken Stabler, QB; Dick Stanfel, OL; Eddie DeBartolo, owner

Playoff Injury Updates: 1/10/16

January 10th, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some of the more notable injury news from yesterday’s playoff games. We will update this post as necessary throughout the day as Wild Card Weekend rolls on:

Although it’s likely Roethlisberger attempts to play in the Steelers’ first divisional playoff contest since 2010, the Steelers expect him to be “severely limited” next weekend against the Broncos, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole reports (video link). Using the 12th-year quarterback’s pain level before he re-entered in time for Pittsburgh’s last-ditch drive as a gauge, sources told Cole that Roethlisberger won’t have his usual array of physical tools available to him by the time the Steelers take the field in Denver.

Earlier updates:

The Chiefs got some great news, as receiver Jeremy Maclin avoided a torn ACL during last night’s win over the Texans, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Although Maclin did suffer a high ankle sprain, there’s a chance he plays against the Patriots next week.
Roethlisberger will undergo an MRI today, and though he does not have a broken collarbone, the belief is that he has a sprained AC joint (or, in layman’s terms, a separated shoulder). The MRI will provide more details (all Twitter links via Albert Breer of the NFL Network).

Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was diagnosed with a concussion following the much-discussed blow to the head he absorbed from Vontaze Burfict and will enter the league’s concussion protocol, per head coach Mike Tomlin (article via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com). Brown’s availability for next week’s matchup with the Broncos is now very much in doubt.

The Steelers may have wound up on the winning side of last night’s bizarre tilt with the Bengals, but in addition to the potential loss of Brown, Pittsburgh could be without its starting quarterback next week. Ben Roethlisberger sustained an injury to his throwing shoulder following a (legal) hit from Burfict, and the fact that Landry Jones came onto the field in Roethlisberger’s place for what everyone believed would be Pittsburgh’s final drive of the game speaks volumes about the severity of the injury. Although Roethlisberger ultimately did return for what proved to be the game-winning, penalty-aided drive, he told the coaches that he was in a great deal of pain and would not be able to take any deep shots to the end zone (article via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler). As for his availability for his team’s clash with Denver next week, Roethlisberger said, “I’m going to give everything I can.”
With his team now eliminated from the playoffs, Texans star DE J.J. Watt says that he will undergo groin surgery on Tuesday (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Watt, who was in obvious pain in yesterday’s loss to the Chiefs, said he has been dealing with the groin injury for the past six or seven weeks. As yet, there is no indication whether the surgery will impact Watt’s availability for offseason workouts, training camp, etc.

NFC East Notes: JPP, Cowboys, Watt

December 2nd, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC East:

Jason Pierre-Paul said today that he wants to finish his career with the Giants, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets. JPP added that the two sides haven’t begun to discuss a contract yet, however. Since returning to action, JPP has tallied 6 tackles and one pass deflection in 3 games. The defensive end is 26, so he’s ostensibly thinking about a long-term deal with the Giants when he references spending the rest of his career with Big Blue. Of course, Pierre-Paul likely doesn’t have the same earning power that he did in the spring.
J.J. Watt on the Cowboys? Bills coach Rex Ryan says that his brother, former Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, wanted to take Watt with the No. 9 pick in the 2011 draft, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes. Dallas wound up taking tackle Tyron Smith, a two-time Pro Bowler and a quality talent in his own right. Watt, meanwhile, fell to Houston at No. 11. Watt has recorded 70.5 sacks in over four-and-half seasons with the Texans and he leads the NFL with 13.5 sacks this season.
At the age of 73, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not inclined to groom a young quarterback, Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News opines. Jones has given comments to indicate that he will look for Tony Romo‘s heir, but he has also said that he expects Romo to be the club’s starting quarterback for another “four or five years.”

J.J. Watt Fires Agent Ben Dogra

April 21st, 2015 at 5:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The league’s top defensive player has made a change in representation. J.J. Watt has fired agent Ben Dogra, sources tell Darren Heitner of Forbes Magazine.

Watt had been co-represented by Dogra and Tom Condon who formerly worked together at Creative Artists Agency. Dogra, of course, was sacked by CAA with cause late last year. Even though Dogra is out of the picture, Heitner writes that Watt won’t be seeking new representation – he’ll simply continue to work with Condon alone. Of course, after signing a six-year extension worth $100MM, Watt won’t have to worry about his on-field financial situation for a while.

Meanwhile, tight end Jermaine Gresham has also decided to part ways with Dogra, according to Darren Heitner of Forbes Magazine (via Twitter). Gresham, one of the biggest names remaining in free agency, has yet to sign after undergoing back surgery earlier this offseason. When he does sign, eventually, it will be with a different rep at the table. As of late last month, the Raiders and Bengals were said to be in the mix.

Watt and Gresham are just two of the latest big name clients to leave Dogra’s stable. Washington left tackle Trent Williams cut ties with him in the past month and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin dropped Dogra late last year before signing a lucrative deal with the Chiefs. Meanwhile, Dogra continues to butt heads with the Vikings organization over his top client, Adrian Peterson.

Texans, J.J. Watt Restructure Contract

March 24th, 2015 at 8:16am CST by Luke Adams

J.J. Watt has agreed to restructure the contract extension he signed last year, converting his $10MM roster bonus for 2015 into a signing bonus, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move creates $8MM in cap space for the Texans this season.

Watt’s $10MM roster bonus had been due to be paid today — if it had gone unchanged, the entire amount would have counted toward Houston’s 2015 cap. Instead, only $2MM will go on the books this year, with $2MM added to the cap for each of the next four seasons as well. Watt, who still receives that full $10MM amount up front, will now have a $13.969MM cap number for 2015, down from $21.969MM.

While the Texans don’t necessarily have any more major free agent investments on the horizon for this year, the added flexibility gives the team a little breathing room to accommodate spring or summer additions, and to sign this year’s draft class.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Watt and the Texans completed the move four days ago.

J.J. Watt Wins DPOY

January 31st, 2015 at 8:10pm CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here: Texans superstar J.J. Watt has been named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets. Watt was an absolute slam dunk for the award and he received 100% of the vote. That’s the first time in the history of the award that anyone has won the vote unanimously, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter).

This marks the second time that Watt has won the award after his first DPOY nod came in 2012. Watt joins Reggie White, Bruce Smith, Lawrence Taylor, Mike Singletary and Joe Greene as a multiple honoree, as Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle notes. The 25-year-old racked up 20.5 sacks, 78 tackles, four forced fumbles, and 32 points in 2014, adding 29 TFL, 50 quarterback hits, five fumble recoveries, 10 passes defensed, one interception, a safety, three receiving touchdowns and five total touchdowns. His dominance wasn’t confined to defense, either, as he made some cameos at tight end and fullback.

Watt was richly rewarded for his play in 2014 when the Texans gave him a whopping $100MM contract extension. Of course, for a player of Watt’s caliber, that could prove to be a tremendous value for Houston, if not a bargain.

Justin Houston Aiming To Top Watt?

November 6th, 2014 at 7:00pm CST by Matt Feminis

“Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston’s career year is happening at the right time, as he is in the final year of a four-year rookie contract that pays $1.406 million this season,” says NFP’s Joel Corry, who goes into detail forecasting the premier pass rusher’s contractual future. Corry’s main points:

First the stats. . .Houston is leading the NFL with 12 sacks through eight games (a pace that would break the all-time single-season record), ranks as Pro Football Focus’ top-rated 3-4 outside linebacker and is tied for second in the league with 44 pressures (combined sacks, QB hurries and QB hits).
Signing Houston to a long-term deal is a priority for the Chiefs, but multiple reports indicate the team and player (agent Joel Segal) are far apart on terms.
Segal will likely seek to top Texans defensive end and reigning defensive player of the year J.J. Watt‘s record-setting, six-year, $100MM mega deal ($51.88 guaranteed), which is the gold standard for defensive players right now. Watt is the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback based on average yearly salary ($16.67MM).
While Houston’s deal is up, he won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of unrestricted free agency because the Chiefs can (will) franchise tag him twice if need be. Corry estimates the tag number will be approximately $13.25MM in 2015 and $15.9MM in 2016.
One “major obstacle” to a deal could be the team’s insistence on quarterback Alex Smith, who signed a four-year, $68MM deal ($45MM guaranteed) in August, remaining the highest-paid Chief. This is typical salary cap structure, according to Corry, who sites the example of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s place atop Detroit’s salary hierarchy even though receiver Calvin Johnson is widely regarded as a better overall player.
In summation, “Based on the changing market conditions for elite defensive players and the relationship between salaries of top pass rushing defensive ends and linebackers that consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks, expect Houston to sign a long-term deal somewhere between $14.5 million per year and $15.5 million per year as long as he doesn’t sustain a serious injury before the end of the season,” estimates Corry.

NFC East Notes: Redskins, Sproles, Watt, Foles

October 3rd, 2014 at 8:35am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins‘ defense is making youthful mistakes and the staff at CSNWashington.com wondered aloud if they should consider bringing in guys like Asante Samuel or Champ Bailey rather than watching Bashaud Breeland play corner. Here’s more from the NFC East..

Eagles running back Darren Sproles is still mad about how things ended with the Saints, writes Mark Eckel of The Times of Trenton. “I felt disrespected there,’’ said Sproles. “Listen, I understand this is business and all of that, but (when they talked about trading him) they put it up on Twitter. That’s how I found out. There was a screen shot and a friend of mine texted it to me. I felt they did me wrong. First, Sean (Payton) told me they were going to cut me. Then I find out on Twitter they’re trading me. That’s just not right.”
As his team prepares to face J.J. Watt this Sunday, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett says there are no regrets about passing on the star defensive lineman to select tackle Tyron Smith in the 2011 draft (link via Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Watt may be the best defensive player in the league, but Smith is one of the NFL’s best left tackles, and Dallas drafted him at a time when the club needed “cornerstone” pieces on its offensive line.
The Eagles are going to have a lot of interesting decisions to make after the season but at the moment, whether to make Nick Foles a wealthy man doesn’t look like it’ll be one of them, writes Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News. Their cornerbacks also setting the world on fire. Bradley Fletcher will have to step it up if he’s going to get a new contract from the Eagles. Cary Williams, meanwhile, isn’t worth his $8.2MM cap number in 2015 and could wind up getting cut.
Yesterday, our own Luke Adams looked at Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin as an extension candidate. Luke speculates that an annual salary in the $7-$8MM range on a five-year deal could be enough to get Maclin to sign.

AFC Notes: Whisenunt, Marrone, Watt, Ryan

September 28th, 2014 at 7:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

Titans‘ head coach Ken Whisenhunt was fielding questions during his post-game press conference, and was asked if he had overestimated the team’s ability. His candid answer has upset some fans, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.

“You know, I guess that’s the problem saying those kind of things. You go on a stretch where you have a couple games and you don’t play well and those are the kind of things that, hey, I still believe that, I still believe we have a team that’s good enough, that’s better than what we are playing right now,” said Whisenhunt. “But we have to look at what we are doing, how we are doing it. We have to look at everything. Maybe.”

Looking back to the offseason, Whisenhunt was heavily rumored as an option for the Lions and Browns, along with the Titans after the success he had coordinating Philip Rivers and the Chargers’ offense. He is believed to have preferred the Titans’ position.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

Doug Marrone’s Bills team started off fast with wins over the Bears and Dolphins to begin the season, but has cooled considerably in losing efforts against the Chargers and Texans. Marrone admits that it is tough to find consistency with such a young offense, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter). “You got young receivers, a young quarterback, and some [young] guys on the line,” said Marrone. “They have to grow and they have to grow fast.”
Texans‘ defensive end J.J. Watt had an impressive showing against the Bills earlier today, leading to owner Bob McNair to praise him publicly, reports Matthew Fairburn of Syracuse.com (via Twitter). “He is worth every cent,” said McNair. “I hope he doesn’t come in tomorrow and ask for a raise.”
After losing to the Lions to fall to 1-3 on the season, Jets‘ head coach Rex Ryan is on the hotseat, writes Bob Glauber of Newsday. The team has three tough games against the Chargers, Broncos, and Patriots, and if they finish that stretch at 1-6, Glauber writes that general manager would be smart to reconsider his commitment to both Ryan and quarterback Geno Smith.