After 12 excellent seasons of terrorizing opposing quarterbacks, J.J. Watt decided to call it quits after the 2022 campaign.
He retired with five Pro Bowl and All-Pro first-team nods to his name, as well as three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and he should have an excellent chance of making it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In the meantime, he is set to be inducted into the Houston Texans‘ Ring of Honor when the team faces the Pittsburgh Steelers this Oct. 1.
Watt took to Twitter to express his gratitude for the upcoming honor.
Humbled, honored and excited to be back.
Can’t say I ever expected to build a bond so strongly with a city I had never been to, but man did we ever.
I am forever grateful.
H-Town is and will forever be family.
Can’t wait to reunite!
🙏🏼
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) June 12, 2023
Watt was originally drafted by the Texans with the No. 11 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and after registering 5.5 sacks as a rookie, he started to take the league by storm.
He put up 20.5 sacks in 2012, coming close to the single-season record in that category, which earned him his first Defensive Player of the Year award.
Upon his arrival, Houston went from a struggling team to a respectable franchise, winning 10 games in 2011 and reaching the playoffs for the first time.
In Watt’s 10 seasons there, the team qualified for the postseason six times, but they were unable to reach the AFC Championship Game.
He spent the last two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, and in 2021 it looked like perhaps he would have a shot at a Super Bowl title.
They won each of their first seven games, but they dropped four of their last five regular season contests and got rolled in the wild-card round of the playoffs by the eventual world champion Los Angeles Rams.
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Fans React To Today’s Texans Announcement About J.J. Watt