HOUSTON — J.J. Watt was the epitome of the Houston Texans after the franchise selected the Wisconsin prodigy in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Watt entrenched himself as the best player in team history, as he became a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner during his 10-year tenure with the organization.
But on Sunday, Houston will experience the nuisance Watt can become to his opposing team, when the Texans clash with their former face of the franchise for the first time during a Week 7 match against the 6-0 Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
The Cardinals will enter the game as the only undefeated team in the league at 6-0, while Watt’s former club seeks to end a five-game losing streak amid a 1-5 record.
“I have a massive amount of love and respect for the city of Houston and their fans,” Watt told Houston reporters during a virtual press conference Thursday afternoon. “In terms of the players, the roster is entirely turned over, so it’s not like I have a lot of history with the guys on the team because it is such a brand new lineup.”
Watt departed the Texans following a 4-12 season in February when the organization granted his release. Watt said the inevitable roster turnover the Texans ultimately would undergo during the offseason factored into his decision to leave Houston.
Following the release of Whitney Mercilus on Monday, the Texans have a total of 17 players who remain on the roster who played with Watt last season — not including Deshaun Watson.
“I have to use a scouting report, it’s so many guys that I don’t know,” he said. “When you turn on the tape, I think there are just three to four players from the starting offense that was there last year. I don’t have any experience with any of them, so I am using the scouting report and watching the film just like every other game.”
Watt isn’t doing anything special ahead of his first game against the Texans, but mentioned it’s weird watching games inside NRG Stadium from an opponent’s perspective.
Ahead of his reunion, Watt will display the same objective that made him a Texan legend over the past decade but will do so with admiration and respect for the city of Houston and its fans.
“It’s going to feel like a football game, and I am going to go out there and do what I always try to do,” he said. “I am going to try and dominate the game and win.”
Among some of the many franchise records Watt holds, the 32-year-old defensive lineman left as the Texans’ all-time leader in quarterback hits (282), sacks (101.1), and forced fumbles (25).