by Daniel Kugler
JJ Watt will retire after the current season. This was announced by the Arizona Cardinals defensive end before week 17 via Twitter and posted a picture of him holding his son, Koa, alongside his wife, Kealia, at last Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
“Koa’s first NFL game ever. My last NFL home game ever. My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It was an absolute honor and pleasure.”
The 33-year-old will end his twelve-year career in the NFL with guest appearances for the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers after the Cardinals were eliminated from the playoff race early.
JJ Watt: One of the big NFL stars is breaking up
The US experts showered the five-time Pro Bowler with praise shortly after the announcement of his retirement. “Undoubtedly a Hall of Famer,” wrote NFL insider Ian Rapoport. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero called Watt “one of the best players of his generation.”
And for Greg Rosenthal, “at his peak, Watt probably surpassed any defensive play he’s ever seen” – to quote just a few of the countless hating NFL insiders.
Appreciation from all sides for one of the greats – and rightly so. Watt will retire as one of the most dominant defense players of his generation.
One of three brothers to play in the NFL, he is one of only three players, along with Aaron Donald and Lawrence Taylor, to have been named Defensive Player of the Year three times.
All three awards came to him while he was playing for the Houston Texans (2012, 2014, and 2015) – the franchise that drafted him 11th first-round draft in 2011.
JJ Watt: One of the best defenders in NFL history
The quarterback chaser will retire with the Cardinals, who Watt signed ahead of the 2021 season after previously spending 10 seasons with the Texans.
Watt has 445 tackles, 111.5 sacks and 27 forced fumbles in 149 games to date, ranking 26th in the NFL career rankings, according to Pro Football Reference. A statistic that has been kept officially since 1982. According to ESPN, he is also the only player to have had more than 20 sacks in multiple seasons (2012, 2014).
Since Watt’s draft, there have only been three other players – Von Miller, Cameron Jordan and Chandler Jones – who have sacked more than he did. The defensive end is also ranked first in pass interceptions, second in fumble recoveries, and third in forced fumbles over the period.
Watt also has a total of 28 games with at least two sacks – five more than any other player since 2011, according to ESPN Stats & Information Research.
He is one of only four players in NFL history to have both 100 sacks and five touchdowns in their careers. Watt also has four seasons with at least 15 sacks, a number of such seasons since 1982 only for his childhood idol and Hall of Famer Reggie White (5).
A major flaw remains, however, despite a career that is second to none and will inevitably end in Canton, Ohio. However, Watt will only be eligible for the NFL Hall of Fame from 2028 anyway.
JJ Watt: Unsuccessful hunt for Super Bowl titles as a big flaw
In addition to all the fabulous numbers that Watt has put on over the years, he was denied the really big hit with both the Texans and the Cardinals and the oversized hands over the years despite individual top performances accordingly without a championship ring.
Justin James, as JJ’s real name is, played a total of six seasons in the playoffs and played a total of nine games in the postseason. However, it should not be enough for the eagerly awaited Super Bowl participation.
Injuries often got in the way of Watt’s pursuit of the title. While the number 99 didn’t miss a single game in his first five years in the NFL, the one-man demolition contractor’s body on defense was to take an increasing toll in the years that followed.
JJ Watt: Vulnerability to injury overshadows career
The list of injuries is long, Watt’s downtime was even longer as his career progressed. A broken tibial plateau, staph infection, a broken hand, a dislocated shoulder, torn abdominal muscles, back surgery – to name just a few of the biggest reasons for absenteeism, which led to a total of 42 missed games.
Before the current season, Watt also had a diagnosed cardiac arrhythmia, specifically atrial fibrillation, treated with electroshock treatment.
After the birth of his first child last October, the premature end of his career can perhaps also be seen as a kind of self-protection measure against worse effects. As part of the treatment, the doctors had attested to Watt that the cardiac arrhythmia could repeat itself at any time. At that time, Watt had resumed training three days after the treatment.
As a result, over the years there are probably too many injury-related absences to take his teams one round further in the decisive games to the Super Bowl triumph.
Despite the title flaw, Watt’s individual achievements, inimitable leader skills and unparalleled career stats stand for themselves.
And that’s not all.
JJ Watt: An absolute role model off the pitch too
In addition to Watt’s sporting successes, his commitment off the pitch will also be remembered long after his career is over.
His foundation has raised over $6.7 million since its inception in 2010 while he was still in college – far exceeding the $100,000 goal, he recently explained on Twitter.
After the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the Watts Foundation also raised more than $37 million for victims of the natural disaster. According to his own statement, his original goal for this was $200,000.
So the NFL not only loses one of its greatest players, but also one of the most important faces off the field.