CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from Feb. 12, 2021.
As of Friday, it will have been two weeks since the Houston Texans granted J.J. Watt's request for a release.
And while it doesn't appear the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year is close to signing with a new team, his free-agent market is beginning to take shape.
On Thursday, ESPN's Dianna Russini reported that Watt has received "several offers" from teams over the course of the past two weeks, Currently, the best offer is believed to include an annual salary between $15 million and $16 million.
A contract offer that high would seemingly bode well for the Cleveland Browns' prospects of landing Watt, who they have consistently been linked to since the five-time Pro Bowl selection hit the free agent market earlier this month. While Watt is reportedly looking to join a contender, he also wants to sign a contract reflective of his Hall of Fame resume, with Cleveland being one of a few teams possessing the ability to check both boxes.
That's not to say that the Browns are the team that has offered Watt a $15-$16 million per year salary or that they would be willing to go that high to sign the two-time sacks leader. But if it's a contender with money to offer that the 31-year-old is looking for, he might be hard-pressed to find a better match than in Cleveland.
In addition to the Browns, Watt has been linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans. As a street free agent, the Wisconsin product is eligible to sign with a new team immediately.