J.J. Watt is playing well for a struggling Arizona Cardinals squad
By Jim Koch
The five-time Pro Bowler is enjoying a solid season for an Arizona Cardinals team that has been a huge disappointment in 2022.
The Arizona Cardinals were thrilled back in March of 2021 when defensive end J.J. Watt elected to sign a free-agent deal with the organization. On quite a few occasions, the club’s front office had come up short in it’s attempts to bring high-profile players to the desert. The recruitment of Watt, therefore, turned out to be a real feather in the cap of Cards general manager Steve Keim.
Unfortunately, the acquisition of Watt hasn’t brought the squad much success on the playing field. Despite a fabulous performance out of the 33-year-old, Arizona has been credited with just four victories this season. If head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s highly-touted scoring attack had lived up to it’s billing, the inspired play of Watt thus far in 2022 could’ve meant a whole lot more.
Things got off on the right foot last year, when Watt and the Redbirds got off to a blazing start. The Cardinals brought a 6-0 record into their week 7 matchup with Watt’s former employer, the Houston Texans. The winning streak continued with a 31-5 triumph, but a blown-out shoulder landed the five-time Pro Bowler on the injured-reserve list.
Watt rehabbed with a vengeance, and somehow made it back in time for last January’s playoff clash with the Los Angeles Rams. A fantastic comeback story for the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year was ruined, however, by the Cards’ ugly 34-11 defeat at the hands of the Rams.
Arizona Cardinals defense has benefited from J.J. Watt’s play in 2022
The 6 foot 5, 288-pound Watt spent the offseason getting completely healthy, and Arizona’s defense has benefited from the veteran’s tremendous dedication. In 11 starts, the former first-round draft pick has racked up an impressive 6.5 sacks. With five games remaining, Watt has a legitimate shot at registering his first double-digit sack campaign since he tallied 16 for the Texans back in 2018.
Sadly, Watt’s stint with “Big Red” may be coming to an end. The Wisconsin native will be an unrestricted free agent next spring, and will more than likely prefer to play for a winning franchise. There’s already been talk that the Pittsburgh Steelers may want to unite Watt with his little brother T.J. in 2023.
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Members of the “Birdgang” may want to pay particular attention to the defensive side of the ball during the last five games. The sight of a magnificent athlete like Watt, all decked out in Cardinals red, has been nothing short of a privilege. Enjoy it while you can.
(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)
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