Cardinals’ J.J. Watt pronounces this will likely be ultimate NFL season

TEMPE, Arizona — Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman JJ Watt introduced in a tweet Tuesday morning that he will likely be retiring on the finish of the season.

“Kore’s first NFL sport. My final NFL residence sport. My coronary heart is crammed with nothing however love and gratitude. It has been an absolute honor and pleasure,” he tweeted, including that his son Koa He posted a photograph standing subsequent to his spouse Kealia throughout Sunday night time’s sport between the Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Core’s first ever NFL sport.
My final NFL residence sport.

My coronary heart is crammed with nothing however love and gratitude. It was an absolute honor and a pleasure.

🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/wXbDUcHM8B

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) December 27, 2022

Watt has two video games left in his 12-year profession, journeys to the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers.

He is likely one of the most dominant defensive gamers of his era and can in all probability be inducted into the Corridor of Fame on the primary poll. Watt, considered one of his three brothers to play within the NFL, was named Defensive Participant of the 12 months 3 times, along with Aaron Donald and Lawrence Taylor. One particular person.

All three of those awards got here whereas taking part in for the Houston Texans (2012, 2014, 2015), a franchise that picked him eleventh total out of Wisconsin in 2011.

After 10 seasons with the Texans, Watt will finish his profession with the Cardinals, signing earlier than the 2021 season.

Watt’s first youngster, Koa, was born in October. In late September, Watts reset his coronary heart rhythm after experiencing atrial fibrillation and performed a number of days later.

Watt presently has 111.5 sacks (twenty sixth all-time within the NFL), a stat that has been formally tracked since 1982. He’s additionally the one participant in a number of seasons (2012, 2014) the place he recorded 20 or extra sacks.

Since Watt was drafted in 2011, solely three gamers have extra sacks than him: Von Miller, Cameron Jordan and Chandler Jones. He additionally batted for 1st in his passes, 2nd in fumbles in recoveries, and tied for third in compelled fumbles.

Watt has 28 sacks or higher, 5 greater than anybody else since 2011.

He’s considered one of 4 gamers with 100 profession sacks and 5 touchdowns. Watts additionally has recorded at the least 15 sacks in 4 his seasons since 1982, second solely to Corridor of Famer Reggie White who recorded 5 sacks.

Watt, the Texans’ all-time sack chief with 101 sacks, practically doubles the second-closest sacks on the franchise’s all-time record, and remains to be taking part in at a excessive degree at age 33.

Amongst 48 gamers with at the least 10 move breakups this season, Watt leads all of them with 28 pressures and ties with Daron Payne on 9.5 sacks.

However Watt’s affect transcended the sector.

Since being based in 2010, when he was nonetheless in faculty, his basis has raised $6.7 million. His unique aim was to boost $100,000, he just lately stated on Twitter.

After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Watt’s Basis raised over $37 million to distribute to victims. His first aim was $200,000.