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)
Arizona Cardinals star DE J.J. Watt played his last ever NFL Game in Week 18 and got emotional while bidding adieu.
J.J. Watt, star defensive edge for the Arizona Cardinals, surprised many people when he declared a couple of weeks ago that this current season will be his final one ever in the National Football League.
His final game in the National Football League was a loss to the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 13–38. Even if Watt’s hopes for how the game would end were not fulfilled, it was undeniably an emotional night for the player who will one day be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
At the end of the game, he had five tackles, including three solo tackles, two assisted tackles, one pass deflection, and two sacks. This further demonstrates that J.J. Watt was still playing at an elite level and could have continued to do so had he not been injured.
Following the conclusion of the game, Watt sent a heartfelt message on his Twitter account. He said, “Sometime in the coming days I’ll find the right words. But for right now, all I can say is thank you. You’ve changed my life forever and I am perpetually grateful.”
J.J. Watt will leave behind a legacy that will live on in perpetuity, and it is likely that over the next several years, we will see him inducted into the Hall of Fame. As a stopgap measure, we will be able to watch his two brothers play for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Watt and his wife, Kealia Ohai Watt, became parents for the very first time in October when they presented to the world with a baby named Koa. This event marked the beginning of their journey as parents. The family took Koa to his first National Football League game last weekend, which also happened to be J.J. Watt’s last home game in his career as a professional football player. As a direct result of this, a big factor contributing to his decision to retire is the aspiration to increase the amount of time he can devote to his young family.
Watt had a scare with his health during the course of the season, which may have provided him with some much-needed perspective. Watt was brought to the hospital just a few weeks before the birth of his child as a result of his episode of atrial fibrillation, which required the medical personnel to shock his heart back into rhythm. In the end, he was able to participate in the game that week and ended up recording three tackles in the team’s victorious performance against Carolina (26-16).
Watt has recently started a family, and he has come to the realization that it is time for him to shift his concentration away from football and into his new family. After a career that he can look back on with a great deal of satisfaction, Watt is going to announce that he is retiring from the National Football League in a few weeks. Watt has had a successful career.
It will almost certainly earn him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Kealia and Koa will be able to look at the successful conclusion of Watt’s football career in Canton and grin with pride.
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