The Arizona Cardinals made a huge free agent splash Monday morning when former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt announced on Twitter that he had signed with the Glendale club.
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The Arizona Cardinals made a huge free agent splash Monday morning when former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt announced on Twitter that he had signed with the Glendale club.
The 31-year-old three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year tweeted a pic of himself wearing a Cardinals shirt with the short caption, “source: me.”
The Cardinals followed up with “We have agreed to terms with J.J. Watt on a two-year contract.”
NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Cardinals are giving Mr. Watt a two-year, $31 million deal that includes $23 million guaranteed.
Mr. Watt, a Wisconsin native, has 101 career sacks, which ranks 31st all time and second most among active players (Von Miller, 106). He has also played in eight career playoff games.
He has 25 career forced fumbles and 16 career recovered fumbles. He was the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2017.
On Feb. 12 he requested and was granted his release from the Texans, for whom he played after being drafted by Houston in 2011.
The Cardinals will host the Texans at State Farm Stadium in Glendale in 2021.
Steve Stockmar has been with the Independent Newsmedia team since 2017. An NAU alum and Peoria resident, Steve’s community journalism pursuits focus mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference. In his spare time Steve plays in a vintage baseball league using uniforms and rules from the 1860s, and also acts (badly) in community theater. In addition, he has an unhealthy obsession with baseball and the Chicago Cubs.