Texans' Danielle Hunter chose new uniform number 'out of respect' for franchise legend

"It's the same double-digit trend from what I brought from Minnesota but, out of respect for J.J. (Watt), he wore No. 99 for the Houston Texans, and he did a lot for the city of Houston, so it's only right to just let it be for him," the 29-year-old told Kay Adams of the "Up and Adams" podcast. "Coming to a new team, new number, but keeping the double-digit number trend. I kind of like it."

There's been chatter this offseason regarding J.J. Watt possibly coming out of retirement and re-joining the Texans, with whom he spent the first 10 years of his career. He wore No. 99 during his two college seasons at Wisconsin in 2009 and 2010, then during his entire stay in Houston, and his final two NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021 and 2022.

Watt won all three of his AP Defensive Player of the Year awards with the Texans, earned each of his five Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors with the club, and garnered the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

If he doesn't decide to step back on the gridiron, he's set to resume his role as a part-time studio analyst on "The NFL Today" in 2024.

Hunter signed a two-year, $49M deal with Houston in March. The LSU product has made four Pro Bowls with the Vikings since 2018.

Hunter led the NFL with a career-high 23 tackles for loss in 2023 while recording high marks in sacks (16.5) and forced fumbles (four). The 29-year-old also tied his career-high 22 quarterback hits, which he recorded in 2019 and 2022.