NFL
NFL Reinstates Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrret
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett’s banishment from the NFL is officially over.
Following a face-to-face meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday, the NFL announced Wednesday morning that Garrett has been reinstated effective immediately. The season-long season resulted from the controversially helmet ripping and tossing incident with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph.
Myles Garrett reinstated by the NFL, it won't surprise me if he ends up hitting abother player in the head with a helmet again pic.twitter.com/m5gBHnttF2
— Dakota Fuqua (@DakotaFuqua77) February 12, 2020
Garrett is now permitted to rejoin the team at their facility for offseason workouts and future practices.
“We welcome Myles back to our organization with open arms,” said Browns Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry. “We know he is grateful to be reinstated, eager to put the past behind him and continue to evolve and grow as a leader. We look forward to having his strong positive presence back as a teammate, player and person in our community.”
The former No. 1 overall pick of the Browns has never faced any NFL discipline prior to the suspension. He was on his way to a Pro Bowl worthy season with 10 sacks. In his first three NFL seasons, Garrett has collected 30.5 sacks which are the most-ever by a Browns player in the first three years of their career.
Myles Garrett's reinstatement is effective immediately. But for now he has other plans. Garrett is captain of the NFL's Waterboys program, which works to bring clean water to communities in need in East Africa. He is is set to depart on a humanitarian trip next week to Tanzania.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 12, 2020
One loose end with the Myles Garrett/Mason Rudolph situation: As @MikeGarafolo has mentioned, Rudolph’s appeal of his $50K fine still has not been decided upon because of a backlog of appeals. Garrett’s fate was decided today, Rudolph’s wallet waits.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 12, 2020
Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt joined The Adam Schefter Podcast on to discuss his decision to sign with the NFC West’s Arizona Cardinals.
While he had numerous suitors across the league, Watt says he was drawn to Arizona by the promise of young quarterback Kyler Murray and his familiarity with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
“All the signs pointed there,” Watt said. “There’s a ton of exciting young talent here. In this league you need a quarterback to have a chance, and they’ve got a very talented young quarterback, who can continue to take the next step. Defense, I’m very familiar with Vance Joseph, who was with me down in Houston with Wade Philips early in my career.”
Watt believes the Cardinals are a team on the cusp of greatness, and that he is the piece to finally put them over the top.
“I think it’s just a team ready to grow and take that next step,” Watt added. “You look at the last three years, they’ve continued to increase win totals every year and are on that trajectory. And I’m looking to help fast track that trajectory.”
Schefter also asked Watt if it was ever realistic he would join his brothers T.J. and Derek with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The star defensive end demonstrated his elusiveness, avoiding addressing the idea head on.
“There was a lot of thought given to every single scenario,” he said. “So we could really sit down and look through all the options and speak with all the teams and gather all the information we possibly could. And there were definitely a lot of great options, there were a lot of opportunities to play. But at the end of the day, I’m very, very excited to be here in Arizona.”
The Cardinals now boast one of the league’s top pass-rushing tandems, pairing Watt alongside elite edge rusher Chandler Jones, who has 97 career sacks.
Arizona had the fourth-most sacks in football last season before Watt’s arrival with 48.
Watt exits Houston as one of the greatest players in franchise history. He was selected to five Pro Bowls, named First-Team All-Pro on five occasions and earned three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.
A future Hall of Famer, Watt is the Texans’ all-time leader in sacks (101), tackles-for-loss (172) and forced fumbles (25).
Watt recorded 52 total tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and returned an interception for a touchdown last season.
🎙 New Cardinals’ DE @JJWatt explains why he chose to sign with Arizona and how close he came to joining his brothers in Pittsburgh:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2021
🎧 https://t.co/zdV4NuQkft
The weeks of waiting and theatrics are over. Free agent defensive end J.J. Watt is signing with the Arizona Cardinals.
Watt broke the news himself on Monday afternoon, tweeting a picture of himself squatting in a Cardinals t-shirt.
source: me. pic.twitter.com/1Y6okQBUy5
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 1, 2021
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watt is signing a two-year, $31 million deal with Arizona, $23 million of which will be guaranteed.
Cardinals are giving J.J. Watt a two-year, $31 million deal that includes $23 million guaranteed, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 1, 2021
Watt joining the Cardinals comes as somewhat of a surprise, as reporting over recent weeks had suggested the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns were the last favorites standing.
Still, Watt’s former Houston Texans teammate and current Cardinals wide receiver Deandre Hopkins was actively recruiting the star defensive end to Arizona just two weeks ago.
“Let’s finish what we started,” Hopkins said in an Instagram post picturing the two embracing with Watt Photoshopped into a Cardinals jersey.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the early favorites to land Watt, reuniting him with his brothers T.J. and Derek, but the clubs financials made the most virtually impossible to compete with an offer like Arizona’s.
The Cardinals now own one of the league’s fiercest defensive fronts, pairing Watt alongside elite edge rusher Chandler Jones, who has 97 career sacks.
Arizona already had the fourth-most sacks in football last season with 48.
Watt departed Houston as one of the greatest players in franchise history. He was selected to five Pro Bowls, named First-Team All-Pro on five occasions and earned three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.
A future Hall of Famer, Watt is the Texans’ all-time leader in sacks (101), tackles-for-loss (172) and forced fumbles (25).
Watt recorded 52 total tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and returned an interception for a touchdown in 2020.
One of the league’s most prominent insiders believes the Steelers are out of the running for free agent defensive end J.J. Watt.
Joining The PM Team on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday, NFL insider John Clayton said Watt will not be joining his brothers T.J. and Derek in Pittsburgh.
Clayton sees the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills as the favorites to land Watt’s services.
For a potential dark horse, Clayton says the Las Vegas Raiders as an outside-the-box candidate to sign the veteran pass rusher.
.@JohnClaytonNFL says JJ Watt won't be coming to Pittsburgh. Tennessee, Green Bay, and Buffalo are the 3 teams. Raiders as a dark horse.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) February 24, 2021
Watt leaves Houston as one of the greatest players in franchise history. He was selected to five Pro Bowls, named First-Team All-Pro on five occasions and earned three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.
A future Hall of Famer, Watt is the Texans’ all-time leader in sacks (101), tackles-for-loss (172) and forced fumbles (25).
Watt recorded 52 total tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and returned an interception for a touchdown in 2020.
