J.J. Watt was once a star on the Houston Texans along with offensive lineman Duane Brown, All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson and former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowny, among others.
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CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 17: J.J. Watt #99 of the Arizona Cardinals looks on in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 17, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio.
((Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images))
The Texans at one point held a 24-0 lead over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 Divisional Round of the playoffs, but they eventually lost by 20 points.
This upcoming weekend, Watt will face his former team as a member of the Arizona Cardinals.
Watt, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, said that the Texans are hardly recognizable now, just two years after that playoff loss to the Chiefs.
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CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 17: J.J. Watt #99 and DeAndre Hopkins #10 of the Arizona Cardinals react after a 37-14 win against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 17, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio.
((Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images))
“There’s obviously something more to it,” Watt said on Thursday, via ESPN. “I don’t think that it’s what people may think it is because, I mean, you look at the roster, and you look at the guys that are there — I mean it’s been so massively turned over that there’s only a handful of guys that are even there from last year that I played with.”
“So, it’s not like, I’m like, ‘Oh, I want to go and beat my old team’ or ‘Oh, I can’t wait to face this guy,’ because it’s not the same team. It’s not the same organization that I remember and that I was a part of.'”
Watt, who played 10 seasons with the Texans, asked to be released by the team back in February before signing with Arizona. Now, as a member of the undefeated Cardinals (6-0), Watt has a legitimate chance to win his first Super Bowl title. With Houston, Watt won four AFC South titles, but now the 1-5 Texans don’t have “many guys” Watt knows.
CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 17: J.J. Watt #99 of the Arizona Cardinals warms up prior to a game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 17, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio.
((Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images))
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“That’s why it hurts me to see where it is now because I believe those fans deserve to be living those high times and to be experiencing those great moments, and it hurts to know that they’re not and to know that they’re struggling,” Watt said. “So, I hope that they get back there at some point, and I hope that they get to do that because I know first-hand it’s an unbelievable place to play when you’re rolling.”