JJ Watt advocates for 1 defensive coordinator to land head coach job

Jan 4, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) warms up before the AFC Wild Card NFL Playoff game against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

J.J. Watt is stepping away from the NFL as a player, but that does not mean he still won’t have an influence on the game.

Watt on Friday tweeted his support of one assistant coach to become a head coach. In response to a report that San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans had interviewed for the Houston Texans head coach job, Watt advocated for Ryans.

As rookie in Houston, I bought my first house across the street from DeMeco because if Meco thought it was the right place to live, it was the right place to live for me.

Captain, leader, smart, tough, personable, crushed it as DC…

He will be a great head coach. https://t.co/OjUdnUxVR6

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 21, 2023

“As rookie in Houston, I bought my first house across the street from DeMeco because if Meco thought it was the right place to live, it was the right place to live for me,” Watt wrote.

“Captain, leader, smart, tough, personable, crushed it as DC…

“He will be a great head coach.”

Ryans played in the NFL from 2006-2015 and made two Pro Bowls. The former linebacker was the No. 33 overall pick in 2006 by the Texans, for whom he played until 2011. 2011 was also Watt’s rookie season.

Ryans, 38, has coached with the 49ers since 2017. He has served as their defensive coordinator the last two seasons as he got the job after Robert Saleh left to become the head coach of the Jets.

The 49ers had the No. 1 defense in the league during the regular season. They were 9th in the league in points allowed and 3rd in the league in yards allowed last season.

Ryans has interviewed for the Broncos and Texans jobs. He is also set to interview for the Cardinals and Colts jobs.