CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 17: Defensive end J.J. Watt #99 of the Arizona Cardinals watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 17, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cardinals defeated the Browns 37-14. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
After an incredible 12-year-long NFL career, defensive end JJ Watt has decided to call it quits with football.
JJ Watt, a defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals, made his NFL retirement announcement this week. The audience was shocked by this, and NFL fans are still looking for explanations.
He spent twelve years as an NFL player, and throughout that time, he contributed to some of the best defensive moves. He formerly held a reputation for being among the NFL’s best players (not just on defense). He currently outperforms many new players.
Injury setbacks throughout those 12 years cost him important playing time, but he overcame them and other challenges to become one of the best players.
There were assumptions that he had aged and was now 33. His injury history and the Cardinals’ dismal season were the two factors that led to his retirement.
He had recently become a father as well, so spending time with his family and child was probably a big influence in his choice to leave the game.
At a press conference on Thursday, Watt revealed his reasons for retiring in order to allay the fans’ concerns and misunderstandings. He emphasizes how the mental strain he experiences while playing the games makes him feel heavy and how he believes it is the right time to step down.
“It feels like the right time. I’ve put so much into the game and the wins and the losses, the mental stress and passion that comes with it, it just weighs on you. It’s heavy, I mean, it’s really heavy.”
Watt, who was selected by the Houston Texans with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, played the game for 12 years with dedication before deciding to retire.
Watt believes that putting his all into every day seemed like too much pressure, which likely contributed to his extreme exhaustion. Anyway, he has established many career milestones by this stage, thus he has nothing to prove to the league.
He got off to a poor start in his rookie season, he only managed 5.5 sacks. In his next season, he turned the tables and dominated the league with 20.5 sacks. He was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Pro.
In 149 NFL games, he recorded 111.5 sacks and retired (still two to play this year). He has played in the Pro Bowl five times, been named to the All-Pro team in the 2010s, and won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times.
He was one of the most successful defensive players in NFL history, as evidenced by his record.
Read More:
Follow our dedicated NFL page for instant NFL news and update