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JJ Watt is officially done playing football. The future Hall of Famer subtly announced his retirement plans following his final home game in Arizona.
To show appreciation for their star pass rusher, the Cardinals decided to post an awesome tribute video that included family, friends, and NFL players. A clip of Watt watching the emotional video has now gone viral.
The Arizona social media team posted the video online Tuesday night, showing JJ’s reaction to the tribute. In the clip, we see his brothers, parents, wife, and son, as well as past and present professional players like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
Take a look.
someone please grab the tissues 🥹#ThankYouJJ pic.twitter.com/gOr0NWIKoA
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 10, 2023
Many around the sports world posted responses to seeing a teary-eyed Watt look on, and now, the former Defensive Player of the Year has given his reaction.
After seeing the tribute go viral, JJ Watt wrote the following message on Twitter.
“Was not ready for that whatsoever. Truly one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received. Will cherish it forever.”
Watt spent his final two seasons with Arizona, playing in 23 games for the Cardinals. Prior, the defensive end was in Houston where he began his 12-year career.
Over that span, JJ racked up 114.5 sacks, twice leading the league in the category, while also amassing 195 tackles for loss. He had a knack for creating turnovers, totaling 17 fumble recoveries, 27 forced fumbles, and a pair of interceptions. He turned those turnovers into three defensive scores.
He was the first of three Watt brothers to enter the NFL, and he’ll now leave the family legacy to TJ and Derek, who both play in Pittsburgh.
JJ Watt will now take the next step in his career, though no one’s quite sure where that leads. Some hint that he might go into coaching, though former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury believes he’d shine on the big screen.
Time will tell, but it’s been fantastic to see the curtain call for the star defender.