Houston Texans Legend J.J. Watt Is A 'Massive Danielle Hunter Fan'

Texans Legend J.J. Watt is thrilled about the signing of edge Danielle Hunter.

Matt Galatzan | Apr 12, 2024

Oct 10, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter (99) / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

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Houston Texans

The Houston Texans might have had the best offseason of any team in the NFL thus far, landing multiple difference makers on both sides of the ball.

Among those additions are receiver Stefon Diggs, running back Joe Mixon and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.

However, the name name that might stand out about the rest, is defensive end Danielle Hunter, who now joins NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year winner Will Anderson Jr. on a unit that looks to now have a truly fearsome pass rusher.

Hunter dominated offensive tackles in 2023, recording a career-high 16.5 sacks and a league-leading 23 tackles for loss. Since entering the NFL in 2015 as a third-round pick, Hunter has recorded five double-digit sacks in seasons, including back-to-back years in 2022-23.

And suffice it to say, former Texans legend J.J. Watt is a big fan of the move.

Oct 10, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter (99) / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

“I’m a massive Danielle Hunter fan,” Watt said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “I think that he’s been very underrated for a long time, in my personal opinion. He’s just been very consistent. He plays extremely well in both the pass and the run. So to see him in addition to Will Anderson in DeMeco Ryans’ defense, I can’t wait to watch that happen."

As for Hunter, it seems the feeling is mutual.

Upon signing with the Texans, Hunter was asked if he would attempt to where his standard No. 99 with his new team, and quickly shot that idea down due to his respect for Watt and what he accomplished in Houston.

“Man, 99, that’s J.J.’s number,” Hunter said during his introductory press conference. “He’s done a lot with that number. I’m not going to mess with it. To be able to do what he’s done with that number for the community and the Texans, I’ll just leave that number to him."

Instead, Hunter could potentially go with No. 55 on Sundays.

Watt, of course, was blown away by Hunter's comments and went out of his way to thank the new Texans star for his kind words.

"Obviously, I think it's very classy and very cool of him, what he did, and what he said upon coming down to Houston," Watt said. "So I'm really looking forward to seeing him play.

Published Apr 12, 2024

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com