J.J. Watt hasn't played a snap in the NFL since the 2022 season, when football fans saw him finish his career with the Arizona Cardinals. Since retiring from the league, Watt has been a presence on TV, serving as a commentator for CBS Sports.
A three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year, a five-time first-team All-Pro, and a five-time Pro Bowler, Watt could've ended up in Green Bay when he became a free agent in 2021.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Watt revealed that he wanted to sign with the Packers, his home team.
"I wanted to play for the Packers in free agency. I wanted to go to Green Bay. They were not interested," Watt said. "That's where I wanted to go. I told my agent, 'I don't care what the number is. I don't care how low it is.'"
"I said the ideal situation for me would be to go play for the Green Bay Packers. That's where I grew up. I watched Reggie White. That would be incredible. I would take a significant, significant hometown discount to play there."
J.J. Watt was willing to take a 'significant' hometown discount for the Packers
For perspective, this would have been the 2021 and 2022 seasons. These would have been the final two years of the Aaron Rodgers era with the Packers, the end of a Super Bowl-or-bust window. Some may remember Green Bay's dire financial state with the salary cap, so as per Watt's words, $5 million would have gone a long way for those two seasons.
Watt's 2021 season ultimately ended prematurely due to injury, only recording a single sack in seven games played. He made a bold resurgence in 2022, though, recording 12.5 sacks and 39 tackles, of which 18 were for a loss. It would have led the Packers in 2022, as Preston Smith led the way with 8.5 sacks and had 38 tackles.
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While it is impossible to know what would've happened in Green Bay, it certainly is an interesting conversation. The Packers went 8-9 in 2022, missing the postseason after losing the regular-season finale to Detroit. Would Watt have made a massive difference? It is hard to tell.
The Packers struggled offensively. Aaron Rodgers had to build chemistry with a young receiving group, and the team dealt with numerous injuries.
Still, having another veteran voice, and someone who wanted to be there, as Watt clearly did, might have been enough to help Green Bay win an additional game or two. If they make the playoffs, all bets are off, as seen in 2010 when the Packers made the playoffs as the No. 6 seed and won three road games en route to Super Bowl XLV.
Jersey sales would have gone through the roof, and maybe, just maybe, the hometown kid would have been able to go from delivering Pizza Hut deliveries in Pewaukee to hoisting a Lombardi Trophy for the Packers.