One thing that is certain to occur each NFL season is injuries. It is an unfortunate aspect of the game, but the physical nature of the sport makes injuries inevitable. One player who retired after the 2022 season was J.J. Watt. However, he still contemplated the possibility of returning to the NFL during the previous season. Watt recently appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” and discussed the two teams he monitored for a potential comeback. These teams were the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans. Watt stated: “I definitely kept an eye on the Texans and Steelers’ situations this year but nothing ever escalated.”
Those two teams would have been logical choices for Watt. The Steelers because he could join forces with his brother, T.J., and the Texans because that is where he spent the majority of his NFL career. Unfortunately, neither scenario materialized and now Watt has declared that he is “1000% done.”
Now that Watt has officially retired, we can reflect on his remarkable career. He played 12 seasons, 10 with the Texans and his final two with the Arizona Cardinals. He accumulated 114.5 career sacks and secured three Defensive Player of the Year accolades. Watt faced numerous injuries throughout his career, which caused him to miss a significant amount of playing time. Nonetheless, he compiled one of the most impressive careers of the past decade. Watt’s eligibility for the Hall of Fame will begin in 2027, as part of the 2028 class. It appears highly likely that the former first-round pick will earn his place in Canton.