5 times J.J. Watt proved he was the king of destroying NFL superstars

#3 - Carson Palmer

San Francisco 49ers v Arizona Cardinals

NFL legend Carson Palmer was heading towards the twilight of his career in 2013 when J.J. Watt faced off against his future employers, the Arizona Cardinals.

Watt had an outstanding game, clocking up two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, four tackles, and a sack. The Cardinals still edged out Houston 27-24, but Watt was definitely the best player on the field that day.

#2 - Matthew Stafford

Watt hugging Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford

J.J. Watt had some of his best career games against Matthew Stafford when he was playing for the Detroit Lions.

Back in 2012, Watt had 3.0 sacks and five total tackles against Detroit. He also had his first touchdown in six years against the Lions in 2020. On Thanksgiving of all days, Watt jumped the line of scrimmage and caught Stafford's attempted dump-off before taking it to the house.

#1 - Alex Smith

Houston Texans DE J.J. Watt sacking Kansas City Chiefs QB Alex Smith

Before Patrick Mahomes turned up and took over for the Kansas City Chiefs, they had quarterback Alex Smith at the helm. Despite never having Mahomes' talent, Smith was an excellent quarterback in his own right, making three Pro Bowls while in Kansas.

In 2015, Smith and the Chiefs overcame the Texans 27-20, but not due to a lack of trying from J.J. Watt. Watt had nine combined tackles, 2.0 sacks, and six TFLs, as he took home a game ball despite the defeat.