J.J. Watt tells Arizona Cardinals and the NFL he’s ready to retire

The five-time Pro Bowler will walk away from both the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL when the season concludes in two weeks. 

The Arizona Cardinals pulled off a surprising move back in March of 2021 when they signed J.J. Watt to a two-year contract. Unfortunately, there won’t be a third season in the desert for one of the best defensive ends in NFL history.

On Tuesday, the 33-year-old Watt announced on Twitter that he’s retiring from professional football. The 12th-year veteran is set to end his career in a Cards uniform, when the team clashes with the San Francisco 49ers on January 8th. Watt will also make one more appearance before then, when “Big Red” takes on the Atlanta Falcons this coming weekend on New Year’s Day.

Watt’s timing with this declaration is a bit odd, when you consider that the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has performed at an elite level over the past couple of weeks. The 6 foot 5, 288 pounder totaled 11 tackles (five for a loss), three sacks and five quarterback hits during Arizona’s losses to the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

No specific reason for this announcement was offered by Watt, but there’s a possibility that the retirement is health-related. Back in September, the longtime member of the Houston Texans was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, just days before the Cards recorded a Week 4 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Watt actually played in that contest after undergoing a procedure that shocked his heart back into rhythm.

Fatherhood may have taken J.J. Watt away from the Arizona Cardinals defense

The fact that Watt became a father for the first time back in October could’ve also played a part in his decision to hang up his cleats. In fact, the Wisconsin native’s newborn baby, Koa, was mentioned in Watt’s retirement tweet.

While the Redbirds have struggled in 2022, Watt is enjoying what many believe is a Pro Bowl-caliber campaign. In 14 starts, the former first-round draft pick has tallied 33 tackles (14 for a loss), 9.5 sacks and six pass breakups for defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s unit.

Cardinals fans are likely wondering if there’s anything worth tuning in for when the squad takes to the field over the next couple of Sundays. Watching the final snaps of a future Hall of Famer’s distinguished career is as good a reason as any to be in front of the TV. We here at Raisingzona.com wish the classy Watt nothing but the best in his future endeavors.

(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)

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