Some fairy tales just refuse to die down. Fans have seen that with the likes of Tom Brady, whose return rumors continue to circulate once in a while, months after NFL retirement. JJ Watt is another example of the similar fairy tale return rumors, which have reignited again. And the frontrunners are an NFC franchise which has lost several key players over the course of the ongoing offseason.
JJ Watt is one of the greatest defensive ends to ever play the game. He retired from the NFL at the end of the 2022 season after years of defensive dominance. But could he be on his way back to the league? And if so, then is the depleted NFC team a likely destination for the former Walter Payton Man of the year?
Is JJ Watt Wisconsin bound?
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JJ Watt might be going back to Wisconsin to return to the NFL. According to recent rumors, it would be the Green Bay Packers, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who could convince the future Hall of Famer to come out of retirement. The Packers certainly need some firepower on both sides of the ball after a recent player exodus.
Many believe if Arizona Cardinals JJ Watt comes out of retirement during the 2023 season it would be the Pittsburgh Steelers or Green Bay Packers. pic.twitter.com/C6Kf4e2PFZ
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) May 13, 2023
Aaron Rodgers left the Lambeau Field to play for the New York Jets recently. It was certainly a blockbuster trade deal that gave the Packers a clean slate for a rebuild. But it also triggered an exodus of players like Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard and Billy Turner, who left to follow Rodgers to MetLife Stadium. So the franchise needs a rebuild and who better to lead that on the defensive side of the ball than a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the year.
It wouldn’t be Watt’s first stint in Wisconsin. Before he became an NFL great, the former Houston Texans first round pick played his college ball with the Badgers. And it also wouldn’t be the first time he has thought of going to the Packers.
A fairy tale that almost came to pass
JJ Watt could have teamed up with Aaron Rodgers two seasons ago when he became a free agent after his stint with the Texans. The DE went to the Arizona Cardinals, but it could easily have been the Packers who snapped him up. Watt revealed this in a recent interview.
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“Sometimes things just don’t happen the way fairy tales are supposed to happen,” he said on the ‘Rise and Schein Podcast’.
"Sometimes things just don't happen the way fairy tales are supposed to happen." @AdamSchein asks @JJWatt if the Packers lack of interest in him prevented him from signing in Green Bay as a free agent in 2021.
Subscribe to "Rise And Schein Podcast" 🔗 https://t.co/QUZdg78yWY pic.twitter.com/dA1rg8Bn7p
— Mad Dog Sports Radio (@MadDogRadio) May 10, 2023
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Well, it may have not happened back then, it may not even happen now. But the idea of ending his professional career in the region where he played college football could certainly appeal to the five-time Pro Bowler.
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