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J.J. Watt is calling it a career.
After 12 NFL seasons, which included three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards and five Pro Bowl selections, Watt announced his retirement on Tuesday.
And he did so in the most J.J. Watt way possible. The Arizona Cardinals superstar posted a pair of pictures on Twitter with a subtle but important caption.
Koa’s first ever NFL game.
My last ever NFL home game.My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) December 27, 2022
“Koa’s first ever NFL game. My last ever NFL home game. My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure,” the tweet read.
The the first picture showed Watt alongside his wife, NWSL player Kealia, and their newborn son Koa. While the second showed the three of them alongside Watt’s parents, John and Connie.
Watt leaves the league with a laundry list of accolades and as a surefire Pro Football Hall of Fame selection down the line. He was a five-time first-team All-Pro selection. He twice led the league in sacks and finished as the runner-up for the league’s MVP award in 2014.
But Watt’s contributions extend off the field of play as well. He was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2017 thanks to work with various charities. Most notably, his charity work helped rebuild more than 1,000 homes in the Houston area following Hurricane Harvey.
Sports World Sends Well Wishes To JJ Watt After Retirement Announcement
His retirement, unsurprisingly, led to an outpouring of well-wishes from the NFL community and beyond.
All-time great and sure-fire Hall of Famer announces his retirement. @JJWatt’s story is an incredible one from transfer walk-on tight end to All-American pass rusher to first-round pick to three-time DPOY.
And he gets to do what few guys do: Leave on his own terms. 🍻 https://t.co/Ynto2nbFZa
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 27, 2022
One of the most dominant defensive players ever!! Loved watching you play every Sunday. Congrats on an incredible career and welcome to a new chapter 🙏🏾 https://t.co/HFzzU5cBj9
— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) December 27, 2022
https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1607769037240471554?s=20&t=fECkaFTnOuDvehYqLJw2ig
See you in Canton, sir. https://t.co/gGZPBW4deJ
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) December 27, 2022
Heck of a career. Will walk directly into the HoF in five years. https://t.co/WF1cDVZlRU
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) December 27, 2022
While the timing of Watt’s retirement may seem surprising, it also makes a lot of sense giving what he’s gone through in the last year. Beyond becoming a father, Watt also suffered a scary heart problem earlier this season and needed to be shocked back into normal rhythm.
Despite the issue, Watt still managed to rack up 9.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 14 games this season, showing that he’s still one of the best to ever do it.