The Green Bay Packers opted not to sign legendary pass rusher J.J. Watt.
The Green Bay Packers missed out on signing one of the best defensive players in NFL history back in 2021.
Former Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt said he would've signed with the Packers back in 2021, and $5 million would've gotten the deal done.
However, Green Bay did not offer Watt a contract, and he ended up playing with the Arizona Cardinals for two seasons.
"I wanted to play for the Green Bay Packers when I was a free agent and they were not interested," Watt said on the Pat McAfee Show. "$5M would have gotten it done but they didn't make me an offer.
Watt would have been an impactful addition for a talented Packers team. In the 2021 season, Green Bay went 13-4 and was the top seed in the NFC.
Rodgers won his second-straight MVP, completing 68.9 percent of his passes for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. He also rushed for 101 yards and three touchdowns.
The Packers were one year removed from losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game. They played at a high level once again, but lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.
The addition of Watt would have helped the defense play at a higher level. In 2021, Watt only appeared in seven games due to injury. However, in his final season in 2022, he suited up for 16 games and recorded 39 total tackles, 12.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, and 25 quarterback hits.
This capped off an incredible career for Watt, who will be a Hall of Famer. Watt is a Wisconsin native and attended the University of Wisconsin.
He was willing to take a discount for a homecoming and could've been a great piece for a Packers team that was trying to win the Super Bowl.
General manager Brian Gutekunst missed out on this golden opportunity. It will remain a mystery whether Watt would've been enough for Green Bay to overcome their special teams issues en route to a Super Bowl, but he would've been a defensive upgrade.