When free-agent defensive end J.J. Watt posted a picture of himself working out in an Arizona Cardinals shirt, it had a domino effect on several teams around the NFL. Watt’s decision is obviously good news for the Cardinals, who will add a talented player to their defensive line.
It’s good news for quarterback Kyler Murray, who now gets to call Watt his teammate and will not have to worry about him causing destruction against Arizona. It’s good news for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Watt's former teammate with the Houston Texans, as it reunites them and gives them a chance to finish what they started and accomplish their dream of winning a Super Bowl together.
But the three-time Defensive Player of the Year’s move to Arizona is bad news for the rest of the NFC West, as the arms race in the league’s most competitive division continues. It is especially bad for the quarterbacks of the other teams in the division, especially for Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson, who recently aired out his frustrations about the lack of protection from his offensive line last month.
With Watt joining a rival in NFC West, it means that Wilson could face the possibility of being sacked more times next season, especially with the 31-year-old pass rusher teaming up with outside linebacker Chandler Jones. Jones already took to Twitter to share what Watt’s signing with the Cardinals means for the rest of their rivals, including Wilson.
https://twitter.com/chanjones55/status/1366457502036992001
In the 2020 season, Russell Wilson was sacked 47 times in 16 games, the third-most among quarterbacks, just trailing former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and the Texans’ Deshaun Watson. Jones is no stranger to wreaking havoc on the Seahawks’ offensive line and getting to Wilson, as he has sacked the signal-caller 14.5 times in just 10 meetings. That number could increase with Watt now joining him. Even if Watt isn't the same player he was before when he was the league’s best defensive player, he is a force to be reckoned with.
But Watt is far from the only talented defender that Seattle should worry about.
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald just ended the season by winning Defensive Player of the Year for a third time, and he remained dominant despite facing constant double-teams throughout the season. While the nightmarish possibility of having Donald and Watt playing for the same team was averted with the latter's decision to play for the Cardinals, having them in the same division as Wilson can’t be good news.
Donald has sacked Russell Wilson 15 times in 15 games, including in the Rams’ 30-20 win over the Seahawks in the Wild Card Round in January that abruptly ended a promising season for Seattle. Donald has been a problem for Wilson and the Seattle offensive line for years now, and he isn’t going away. Throughout its history, the NFL has seen just three players win Defensive Player of the Year three times in their careers, and two of them are in the NFC West and are set to play Wilson and the Seahawks multiple times each season.
With Watt and Donald now playing in the same division as Seattle, the team must listen to the star quarterback and address their issues with their offensive line this offseason. It will not only keep the eight-time Pro Bowler happy, but it would also prolong his career and ensure that their franchise quarterback can keep playing at a high level.
But if the Seahawks fail to improve the protection around Russell Wilson, then his frustrations will likely continue, and the whispers of the quarterback wanting to play elsewhere will only grow louder.
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