Three dream trades for the Packers that aren’t realistic

J.J. Watt

The Houston Texans have vastly underperformed this year. A team that was supposed to contend for the AFC South has just one win this season and there are rumors about them trading players away. Receivers are the main focal point of the Texans’ fire sale, but would it make sense for them to trade J.J. Watt as well?

Watt has deserved better than Houston since day one. When the Texans drafted him 11th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, fans booed and ripped the pick apart, and Watt remembers. In 2018, he posted a screenshot of all the comments that were made about him when he was picked.

Again, the Houston Texans have never deserved J.J. Watt and never will.

Watt has had a hell of an individual career in Houston, earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards three times while also being named to the All-Pro First-Team and Pro Bowl five times each. He has all of the individual accolades needed to get into the Hall of Fame. All he needs now is a Super Bowl ring, and he sure isn’t going to win one of those in Houston.

You could see Watt’s frustration during the entire game this last weekend against the Packers. He made a huge play on a third down to force the Packers to punt, and while his teammates were all excited and celebrating, he showed no emotion and walked to the sideline. Most of all, you could see it during his post-game press conference.

He has carried that franchise on his back since he got there. Since the Texans aren’t going to the playoffs anytime soon, thanks to Bill O’Brien’s genius trades, I think it would be in the best interest of both the Texans and Watt to find a trade partner.

Enter the Packers.

This trade just makes so much sense. Watt grew up in Wisconsin as a Packer fan. He went to college in Madison. The Packers need defensive line help and have a good shot at going to the Super Bowl. Again, it just makes sense.

Unfortunately, it also doesn’t make sense at all. At least for the Packers’ salary numbers. Again, the Packers’ cap is already tight, and it isn’t going to get any easier next year. Watt is under contract through the 2021 season. His salary next season would be $17.5 million.

Having Watt on the books would definitely mean the Packers would not be able to sign some of their big-name free agents this offseason, most notably, David Bakhtiari. So Packer fans would have to choose. Would they rather have Watt or Bak? With Watt’s injury history, I think it is an easy call for the Packers.

It won’t happen, but J.J. Watt in a green and gold uniform would be a dream scenario for a lot of Packer fans, and probably for Watt as well.