The Houston Texans and DE JJ Watt have mutually agreed to separate, the team announced today.

The Houston Texans and DE JJ Watt have mutually agreed to separate, the team announced today.

Watt is the all-time franchise sack leader (101.0), three-time Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year award (2012, 2014-15) and Walter Man of the Year. Payton NFL 2017.

“Change is never easy, especially when it involves those you love. JJ’s impact not only on our organization, but on the entire Houston community, is unlike any player in the history of our franchise, ”said Texans President and CEO Cal McNair. “I told JJ earlier this week that we will forever consider him a Texan. We take comfort in knowing that this is not a goodbye but a ‘see you soon’. For now, we will be building. on the foundation that JJ created here and moving forward with our unwavering mission to bring a championship to our city, create memorable experiences for our fans and do great things for Houston.

“Simply put, no one in the past decade has had a greater impact on the Texas organization than JJ Watt,” said co-founder and senior president Janice S. McNair. “JJ’s dominance on the pitch was unprecedented and resulted in countless moments that will go down in Texans history. For me what best represents JJ’s bond with Houston is his tradition of playing with the fans. before every home game. The number of people wearing # 99 jerseys with smiles on their faces totally sums up JJ’s passion for bonding with Texas fans at every possible opportunity. His commitment to the community is nothing like no player in NFL history. We are eternally grateful to JJ and his family. “

“The bond I have with the people of Houston is special, and I’ll never take that for granted because I know how rare it is. I just want you to know that I love you and appreciate you.” Watt said via a message to fans via social media. “I want to thank the McNair family for drafting me and giving me my first opportunity in the NFL. Thank you, Houston.”

The Texans selected Watt with the 11th pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and he has appeared in 128 games for the team over 10 seasons (2011-20). Five-time Pro Bowl selection and AP All-Pro first team (2012-15, 2018), Watt set franchise records in sacks (101.0), tackles for loss (172), hits quarterback safes (281) and forced fumbles (25) to go along with 531 total tackles, 61 defensive passes and 16 fumble recoveries. He has the four highest sack totals in a season in team history (2012, 2014, 2015, 2018) and remains the only player in league history to have accumulated at least 15.0% bags from a single franchise.

Watt is one of only three players in NFL history to win at least three AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, doing so in 2012 and 2014-15. Since joining the NFL in 2011, he has led the league in tackles for loss (172), quarterback hits (281), multi-sack games (26) and sacking yards (713, 5), while placing second for bags (101.0). In 2020, Watt, who led the NFL in sacks twice (2012 and 2015), became the fourth-fastest player in NFL history with a total of 100.0 sacks, which in just his 120th career game.

From 2012 to 2015, Watt recorded four consecutive seasons with at least 10.0 sacks, including two seasons with 20.5 in 2012 and 2014. During that time, he won six of his seven Defensive Player of the Week awards. career AFC and five of his six careers. AFC Defensive Player of the Month Award. Watt is also the only player in NFL history with 20.0 or more sacks and 10 or more assists defensed in the same season (2012 and 2014), and he is tied for fifth among players. defensive line in league history with six regular seasons. touchdowns, including three receiving touchdowns.

Off the pitch, Watt’s response to the disastrous Hurricane Harvey in 2017 helped him win the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. The hurricane made landfall in Houston as Watt and the Texans played their third preseason game. While watching events unfold from afar, Watt posted a video on social media announcing a fundraising campaign with a highly achievable goal of $ 200,000, which he intended to match the first $ 100,000 to. Little did he know that in just 19 days he would help raise more than $ 37 million, a total that ultimately reached over $ 41 million. Watt was dedicated to finding organizations that applied funds the way he had promised donors and disaster victims. He also ensured that every dollar went directly to people in and around Houston who needed it.

Watt founded the Justin J. Watt Foundation when he was a junior at the University of Wisconsin in 2010 out of a desire to help underprivileged children. His personal motto “Dream Big, Work Hard” resulted in a mission he used to reach out to communities across the country. The foundation has provided over $ 6 million in funding to schools and organizations that have insufficient funding for their after-school youth athletic programs or simply have no after-school athletic programs.