Steelers Favored to Land J.J. Watt in Free Agency
PITTSBURGH -- A trio of brothers playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers? It sounds obscene, but the odds say the Watts are all headed to the City of Champions.
On Friday, the Houston Texans and three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt mutually agreed to part ways prior to free agency. The 31-year-old will hit the open market as one of the biggest names available.
The Steelers currently find themselves in a cap space predicament. Pittsburgh is expected to be -$15 million over the salary cap. They're expected to meet with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to negotiate his $41.25 million cap hit this season and will search for other ways to clear enough space to resign some of their 24 free agents and dig into the market of players.
Despite their difficult cap situation, though, the Steelers are still the top team to land Watt. According to BetOnline.ag, Pittsburgh currently leads the NFL at 3/2 odds to sign the third Watt brother.
The Steelers already have T.J. and Derek Watt on the roster. While money will likely play some role in J.J.'s decision, many believe a chance to play alongside both brothers is an opportunity he'd like to have.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2/1) and Baltimore Ravens (6/1) sit behind the Steelers in odds to sign Watt this spring.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
