J.J. Watt, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and likely first-ballot Hall of Famer, said today that he will retire after the 2022 season. The defensive end made the announcement in a tweet, saying, “My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.” See the post below.
His Arizona Cardinals will finish the year with a pair of road games at Atlanta and San Francisco.
Watt was a first-team All American at Wisconsin before being drafted No. 11 overall by the Houston Texans in 2011. He spent his first 10 seasons with the club, helping lead them to six AFC South titles. He was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, 2014 and 2015 and was first-team All Pro five times.
He is the only NFL player to post two seasons with 20 or more sacks.
Watt long has been a popular player with fans, teammates and the media. Aside from his on-field prowess, he is known for helping to raise some $40 million for relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey pummeled Houston in 2017. His online fund-raising drive began with $100,000 of his own money and later was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year by the NFL and shared Sports Illustrated‘s Sportsperson of the Year Award with Jose Altuve of MLB’s Houston Astros.