J.J. Watt has dealt with numerous injuries over the course of his Hall of Fame career, but his announcement on Tuesday that he’s retiring after the season was met with some surprise.
Watt has played well in his second season with the Cardinals, notching three sacks in a loss to the Broncos less than two weeks ago, and most importantly he’s managed to stay healthy. Watt has played 14 of 15 games after missing at least eight games in four of his previous six seasons.
In a thoughtful press conference Wednesday, Watt cited a few reasons for his decision to step away from football.
“I’d much rather go out playing good football knowing that I could still play and knowing that hopefully people remember me playing good football,” Watt said, adding that he didn’t want to “go out limping.”
MORE: Cardinals’ J.J. Watt says he will retire from NFL after 2022 season
Retiring healthy is a luxury for Watt, who has dealt with serious knee, back, and pectoral injuries dating back to his time in Houston. Watt needs just a half-sack over the final two games for his sixth double-digit sack season.
“I have a whole life in front of me and I feel great. My body feels great. I’m really just looking forward to the future, whatever that may be,” Watt said.
Watt also indicated that losing was weighing on him. The Cardinals are 4-11 and have lost seven of their last eight games.
“The wins, the losses, the mental stress and passion that comes with it. It just weighs on you. It’s heavy. I mean, it’s really heavy. Losses are very tough to take,” Watt told reporters.
MORE: Relationship between Kliff Kingsbury, Kyler Murray ‘is not good’
Watt said not winning a Super Bowl was once something he “wrestled” with, but he said Wednesday that he’s at peace walking away without a championship.
“Did I win a championship? No. But I literally lived out a dream that millions of people would kill for,” Watt told reporters.
It’s been a year of personal highs and lows for Watt, whose heart had to be “shocked back into rhythm” after an atrial fibrillation scare in September. He and his wife, Kealia, had their first son in October. Watt said the birth of his son was another factor in his retirement.
MORE: Cardinals’ DE announces heart went into A-Fib, playing after being ‘shocked back into rhythm’
While teams will almost certainly come calling this offseason and beyond, Watt clearly has thought through his decision to step away after one of the greatest careers of any defensive player in NFL history. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year is in line to be Hall of Fame eligible in 2028.
