The Houston Texans announced Wednesday that they’ve officially placed DE J.J. Watt and OLB Whitney Mercilus on injured reserve and sign G Dorian Johnson off of the Cardinals’ practice squad.
Watt suffered a tibial plateau fracture to his left leg that required season-ending surgery. Meanwhile, Mercilus sustained a torn pectoral.
Watt, 28, is a former first-round pick of the Texans back in 2011. He’s currently in the fourth year of his eight-year, $108.88 million contract that includes $51.8 million guaranteed. He stands to make base salaries of $10.5 million and $11 million over the next two years of the deal.
In 2017, Watt Watt appeared in five games and recorded 15 tackles, no sacks and two pass defenses for the Texans. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 5 interior defensive lineman out of 124 qualifying players.
Mercilus, 27, is a former first-round pick of the Texans back in 2012. He’s currently in the third year of his five-year, $27.431 million contract that included $10.8 million guaranteed and stands to make base salaries of $4.5 million and $4.75 million over the next two years of the agreement.
In 2017, Mercilus appeared in five games and recorded 10 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 48 edge rusher out of 105 qualifying players.
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