One of the most spectacular defensive careers came to an end today as J.J. Watt, who announced two weeks ago that this would be his final NFL season. With the Arizona Cardinals out of playoff contention, today’s game against the San Francisco 49ers saw Watt ride off into the sunset.
Watt dominated as a Senior at Wisconsin, winning the Lott Trophy and earning All-American honors. The Houston Texans used their 11th Overall Pick to take the Defensive End, and he instantly became the face of the franchise.
After a good rookie year, Watt went on a four-year tear where he was easily the best defensive player in football. A First Team All-Pro in all four of those campaigns, Watt won three Defensive Player of the Year Awards (2012, 2014 & 2015), twice led the league in Sacks (2012 & 2015) and three times in Tackles for Loss (2012, 2014 & 2015). Watt was so dominant, that he won the 2014 Bert Bell Award, that institution’s version of the MVP.
Injuries held him to only eight Games in 2016 & 2017, but he added another monster season in 2018, adding a fifth First Team All-Pro, on the strength of a 16-Sack year.
Watt played more two more seasons with the Texans before signing with the Arizona Cardinals. Injured again for much of 2021, Watt’s final year was solid, accumulating 12.5 Sacks giving him 114.5 in total. His 195 Tackles for Loss also places him second overall.
As phenomenal as Watt was on the field, he was even more incredible off of it. Watt won the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year, after having raised $37 million in relief for those suffering from Hurricane Harvey, and his philanthropic efforts also including covering the funeral costs for the six victims of the Waukesha Christmas Parade Attack.
Watt is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2028, and he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He was ranked #5on our pre-2022 Season Ranking of active players, and bluntly, anyone that high is getting a bust in Canton right away.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com wish J.J. Watt the best in his post-playing career.
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