Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 1565 The Ban Fails
The three visits to the thatched cottage demonstrated not only patience but also sincerity.

Li Wei used his charm to persuade Watt, and his tireless efforts and humble yet assertive attitude finally won him over and put a lever on the table.

However, when O'Brien found out, he was furious. In his eyes, this was betrayal, no other explanation, a blatant betrayal.

O'Brien not only shut Vicki out, but also confronted Watt directly in the locker room, even to the point of breaking off relations.

O'Brien made some harsh remarks.

“Even if you rot on the Houston bench, you will never join Kansas City. You think you are a hero of Houston, but in the face of the team and the championship, you are worthless. You are willing to bend over for them, but I can’t stand it. I have pride and dignity. I will not allow you to debase yourself and humiliate us.”

Embarrassing. Ugly. Ferocious. Filthy.

Everything was no longer concealed.

According to sources within Houston, Watt was still tormented by his conscience until then. Although he had made his decision, things were not so simple, so Watt kept distracting himself through training, forcing himself not to overthink and not to act on emotion.

However, the locker room split became a turning point, with O'Brien's attitude being one aspect and Watson's attitude being another.

Watson remained indifferent throughout, indulging in a life of pleasure and unable to extricate himself from his decadent offseason.

With the team already in turmoil, and the starting quarterback in such a state, Watt's determination to leave Houston was finally solidified.

That's how Watt ended up bypassing O'Brien and going directly to the team owner to negotiate.

The relationship is completely broken and irreparable; things have ultimately come to this.

Despite being head coach, Watt dedicated his entire youth to Houston, maintaining close relationships with the team owner and management.

Watt confronted his boss.

No one knows what they discussed; all that is known is the result: the boss agreed to Watt's transfer request.

However, Watt was still under contract and not 100% free. O'Brien's tough stance completely blocked any possibility of him becoming the Kansas Chiefs.

Thus began the ensuing uproar, drawing in half the league as everyone clamored for Watt.

Indeed, Watt is very close to signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the two sides have reached a preliminary agreement on the signing amount. Watt is very eager to play alongside TJ and Derek; however, the Pittsburgh Steelers' salary cap cannot support him, and even if Watt reduces his annual salary, it will still be impossible.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were preparing for an internal contract restructuring when Watt heard about it, and rumors circulated that the Pittsburgh Steelers were considering restructuring the contracts of their defensive forwards.

TJ Watt was among them.

Watt didn't want his joining to cause TJ to restructure their contracts, so he hesitated at the last minute.

Then Watt turned to the Kansas Chiefs again to see if they could match the Houston TIAN and the contract he himself desired.

Despite the Kansas City Chiefs re-signing Levi and Mahomes, the team's salary cap has remained within a reasonable tiered structure thanks to rookie benefits, and they only need to make slight adjustments to accommodate Watt's contract.

At a crucial moment, Vicki showed his courage, not only agreeing to Watt's request but also personally calling the Houston Texans' owner, bypassing head coach and team manager O'Brien.

And just like that, everything happened, completely overturning the alliance's landscape in the blink of an eye.

Who could have imagined that the current situation would backfire so badly because the Pittsburgh Steelers tried to restructure TJ Watt's contract to make room for JJ Watt? The vision of the three Watt brothers reuniting in Pittsburgh was almost there, just one final signature away, but it all fell short at the finish line. No wonder Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Tomlin and quarterback Roslisberger both looked unhappy, and could hardly hide it during their interviews.

Houston Texans general manager and head coach O'Brien was equally furious.

O'Brien held absolute power in Houston, believing he had complete control. Just look at what happened to Hopkins. Even the team's top wide receiver and a superstar in the league could be sold off at O'Brien's whim, even at a bargain price. Everything was up to him.

O'Brien even considered transferring Watt to a weak team with no championship aspirations for a low price, just to humiliate Watt in that way.

The results of it?
The team owner bypassed O'Brien, who was the team manager, and made the decision directly, effectively sidelining O'Brien and issuing a warning:
Who is the real person in charge of this team?
O'Brien was furious. Not only did Watt successfully transfer, but he also joined the Kansas City Chiefs as he had wished. The sound of his humiliation echoed throughout the sky.

In response, O'Brien stormed into the office of team owner Janice McNair, demanding an explanation.

O'Brien believed he had a valid reason: the Kansas City Chiefs, the team that eliminated them in the Conference Finals and their ultimate opponent in the Super Bowl, how could they just hand over Watt to them? Wouldn't that be shooting themselves in the foot?
But in McNair's eyes, none of that mattered—

The conditions are sufficient.

The Kansas City Chiefs not only showed great sincerity, but also made room for us to expand our roster with salary cap space. What more could we ask for?

For McNair, it was just a math problem, that simple.

"As for the Super Bowl, if you're so afraid of the Kansas City Chiefs that you're scared before the game even starts, just say so, and I can replace the head coach immediately."

It was a casual remark, yet it carried immense weight, leaving O'Brien speechless.

McNair was extremely angry. "JJ said he could only choose between you and me. Between you two, I chose you. I believe you can lead the team to the Super Bowl. Who is JJ? Two major injuries and countless minor injuries over the years are no longer a concern. I helped the team get rid of a burden, but you still don't have the confidence to win the championship. You might as well hang yourself with a belt right now."

"If you don't have the strength, then stand outside and take a piss, look in the mirror, and die of shame and indignation."

And so the matter came to an end, all the controversy and chaos vanishing silently into nothingness.

And the alliance?
Amidst cheers and gasps of amazement, Goodall couldn't wait to launch his promotional campaign.

"When Watt meets Levi, that's rugby."

The league seized the opportunity to launch a new round of marketing, shifting its focus away from quarterbacks or offense and instead emphasizing the team spirit of football:

"Offense, defense, and special operations—we can't leave any of them out."

"Once you step onto the field, you are a superstar."

"Rugby is a sport for fifty-three people, and each person is a spark that can start a prairie fire at any time."

And so on.

The massive wave of controversy that swept through last season, the protests from defensive players, and the shining moments of offensive players led by running backs, all converged into a trickle, flowing into the league's new promotional campaign.

It must be said that Goodall was still a cut above the rest, seizing every opportunity and going with the flow, never missing a chance.

(End of this chapter)