Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 1561 - 1560: Determined to Win

Official announcement: JJ-Watt is about to leave the Houston Texans, marking the end of an era.

Careful observers can notice from Watt’s official statement that he had a deep conversation with the team owner, but did not mention coach O’Brien from beginning to end.

Insiders can speculate that Watt’s relationship with O’Brien has probably hit rock bottom; moreover, between O’Brien and Watt, the team owner still chose O’Brien, just like the New England Patriots’ owner chose Belichick.

The New England Patriots and the Houston Texans, Brady and Watt, despite numerous differences in their situations, ultimately share the same conclusion—

This precisely illustrates the essence of the Professional League, which is ultimately all about interests and championships; everything else can be sacrificed.

Brady is no exception, Watt is no exception; and, if the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans cannot achieve a breakthrough soon, neither Belichick nor O’Brien will be an exception, and the team’s owner will not hesitate to give them up just as fast, without a blink.

Simple, ruthless, and decisive.

However, only a small number of professionals notice these details, whereas for the general public and fervent fans, their focus is not here.

Another small detail, Watt’s official statement was entirely centered around the Houston Texans, without a single mention of his next team. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

This earned him a round of applause from the fans, as Watt demonstrated respect for the Houston Texans, showing gratitude for the team’s kindness over the past decade.

A small group of fans can see that with the successive departures of superstars Hopkins and Watt, there’s definitely an issue in the Houston Texans’ locker room; O’Brien’s silence and Watson’s invisibility further illustrate many problems, indicating that they are the real victors in this battle.

But Watt did not complain or stab anyone in the back. He parted ways on good terms, leaving behind a perfect image. His demeanor and courage deserve applause.

However, while praise is praise and discussion is discussion, voices of regret and sighs spread widely—

Because this means that next comes the highly anticipated guessing game time again.

Guessing Brady, then guessing Watt, there is no breathing room during this offseason. One mystery follows another, and all are likely to impact the League’s structure and the championship outcome. Not to mention the League’s insiders, even fans and audiences are like spinning tops, unable to stop.

News, in full surge.

Amid the various rumors updated by Rapoport and Pelissero, teams emerged into view, making it seem like half of the league is involved.

Brady, as a quarterback, is undoubtedly valuable, but apart from age and injury, changing a quarterback also means changing the tactical system. This is why quarterbacks are considered the cornerstone, as even the entire team needs to be built around a new quarterback, altering the team’s philosophy, which involves changes in the free market, draft, offseason training, and the tactical manual.

For this reason, the San Francisco 49ers were very close to Brady but eventually decided against it, choosing to trust Shanahan instead.

This means, though the quarterback’s value is significant, the workload after signing is considerable as well, and not all teams are willing to take the plunge.

But Watt is different, as a Defensive End, Watt is a plug-and-play player who can function effectively in any team and any tactical system.

Moreover, Watt is a versatile player who can be effective in different positions, even the "4-3" and "3-4" formations do not impact him.

It is easy to imagine the whole league getting excited. Despite Watt’s age and injuries being a concern, his experience and ability still hold great appeal.

Rapoport confirmed that at least fourteen teams in the league have contacted Watt or the Houston Texans, and this is just what they know—there may be more secretive teams who haven’t let word slip; and within these teams, a group of strong competitors has emerged.

The Green Bay Packers, Watt’s hometown team, with Aaron Rodgers undoubtedly being attractive.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, where both TJ Watt and Derek-Watt are.

The Buffalo Bills, ambitious and strong-willed, aiming for the Super Bowl after pushing past the long-time division rival New England Patriots.

The Cleveland Browns, whose Defensive line already has the 2017 top pick Myles Garrett. If Watt joins, they could form a fearsome front line.

Of course, there’s also the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Again and again, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!

After making headlines in recent days, Arians is not resting on his laurels; on the contrary, he is brandishing the new "Brady" card and openly recruiting, showing no hesitation in building a championship team, pursuing it openly and covertly all at once—

Just like the Los Angeles Rams.

In the NFL, there are two mainstream paths to winning championships.

One is the rookie benefit, building a team around the draft, looking long-term, and forming a truly strong team with depth. Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles are representations of this approach.

The other is the mercenary structure, with a superstar as the core foundation, recruiting around that star to quickly build a championship-winning team within one to three years but then return to normalcy afterwards, with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams undoubtedly as typical examples.

Now, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adopting the latter approach.

The question is, are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers going to be the next Denver Broncos, or the next Los Angeles Rams?

The latest rumor has Brady personally visiting his friend Rob Gronkowski in Miami.

It is world-known that Gronkowski is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding tight ends in the history of the NFL. Without serious injuries or age constraints, Gronkowski unexpectedly announced his retirement last season, which was considered one of the biggest losses for the league.

Insiders generally believe Gronkowski’s retirement was not due to physical reasons but psychological ones—tired of power struggles in the New England Patriots’ locker room.

Now, Brady has personally set out to persuade Gronkowski to come out of retirement, demonstrating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ determination to win the Super Bowl.

Just as people thought that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ focus was entirely on Gronkowski, Arians quietly revealed his ambitions—

For JJ-Watt.

The rumor is, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are demonstrating absolute sincerity, not only promising Brady to build a championship team but also directly targeting the Super Bowl.

Arians personally went to Houston to visit Watt, showing full sincerity, with everything from posture to bargaining chips to signing terms prepared adequately; if Watt still hesitates, Brady is also ready to go to Houston himself, mobilizing everything just for Watt.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are inching ever closer to signing Watt.