JJ Watt officially retired from the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals defensive end played his final game once morest the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 at Levis Stadium.
The tribute in Santa Clara, Calif. wasn’t all Watt received Sunday. His two brothers, TJ and Dereck, who both play for the Pittsburgh Steelersarrived at Acrisure Stadium for their game once morest the Cleveland Browns in J.J. Watt jerseys.
Last December 27, Watt uploaded to his twitter account an image with his family where he announced that the 2022 season would be his last.
“First game of Koa (defensive end’s daughter) in NFL, last home game of my career,” the star wrote, posing in photos alongside his daughter and his wife, Chicago Red Stars forward Kealia. “My heart is filled with nothing less than love and gratitude. It has been an absolute honor and pleasure.”
Watt’s achievements
A three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Watt is a future Hall of Famer. He was the 11th overall pick in the 2011 Draft by the Houston Texans. He played there until the end of the 2020 season, when he announced his signing with Arizona.
At Texas, he played 128 games, including eight playoff games, to which he added 21 more with the Cardinals, including one postseason game in last year’s Wild Card round once morest the Los Angeles Rams. In all, 149 tackles on the ground, 111.5 sacks, 580 tackles, 191 tackles for lost yardage, 313 QB hits, one safety and two interceptions.
In terms of awards, the list is also extensive. He was a three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year (2013, 2015 and 2016), a one-time Walter Payton Man of the Year (2018), 2017 Sportsman of the Year, a five-time Pro Bowl selection (2012 to 2015 and 2018) and a six-time All-Pro team selection (2012 to 2015 and 2018).
