For the Buffalo Bills , it’s all hands on deck to recruit J.J. Watt.
Since the Houston Texans released the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award winner earlier this month, there have been plenty of rumors about where he could end up next, with the Bills seen as one of his most likely destinations. While the Bills reached the AFC Championship game last season on the strength of one of the league’s best offenses, their defense was lacking in pass rush and Watt is seen by many insiders as a strong free agent target to help with that problem.
A pair of top Bills wide receivers are now joining to help recruit him. Stefon Diggs, who earned NFL All Pro honors in his first season in Buffalo, took to Twitter to help warm Watt to the idea of moving to Buffalo next year.
@JJWatt just hear me out real quick big fella ?
— DIGGS (@stefondiggs) February 12, 2021
He was quickly joined by another Bills legend, Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Reed. The four-time Super Bowl runner up shared the message from Diggs and threw in a longer pitch to get Watt thinking about signing in Buffalo.
… @jjwatt bro Buffalo is calling. We got a more than great team, more than great fans, great buffalo wings, great waterfall , great pizza and blue cheese … The missing piece is a great pass rusher to go with our other guys. You available to chat ?? #billsmafia #nfl #jjwatt pic.twitter.com/eq8xiwjUdZ
— Andre Reed (@Andre_Reed83) February 13, 2021
There are other NFL insiders who see Buffalo as a strong fit for Watt, who grew dismayed at the lack of direction for the Texans after they quickly fell from title contender to bottom-feeder in the AFC South. Watt and now-former teammate Deshaun Watson both had a falling out with the front office, asking for their exits.
Now in the twilight of his career, Watt is expected to seek out a club that is already in title contention, as he reportedly pushed back against the idea of playing through another rebuild in Houston. As NYup.com noted, that could make the Bills a strong fit.
“Watt has stated that he simply wants to win and the Bills make plenty of sense for that reason alone,” the report noted. “The team made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game this season and are poised to be a contender for the foreseeable future with Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and company.”
It’s not clear what Watt could command in free agency or where he might fit in along with the other priorities for the Bills. The diminishing salary cap is expected to force some difficult decisions and the team has other defensive players headed toward free agency, including linebacker Matt Milano. Some insiders also believe the Bills are working on a long-term extension for Josh Allen as well, locking him down before he would have the chance to hit the open market.