Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt announced on Tuesday that he will be retiring from the National Football League (NFL) after the 2022 season.
Watt made the announcement via Twitter, stating that Sunday’s overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was his final home game in the league.
The Cardinals, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention, will be facing the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers in their remaining two games of the season.
J.J. Watt, a defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals, has announced his retirement from the National Football League (NFL) after an accomplished career.
Since being drafted as the 11th overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2011, Watt has established himself as one of the all-time great defenders in the NFL.
He has been named a five-time All-Pro and has won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, tying him with Lawrence Taylor and Aaron Donald for the most in league history.
Watt is also a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. During his 10 seasons with the Texans, he recorded 101 sacks, the most in franchise history, and 25 forced fumbles in 128 regular-season games.
He is the only player in NFL history to have recorded at least 20 sacks in two different seasons.
In 2021, Watt joined the Cardinals as a free agent and has recorded 33 tackles, 9.5 sacks, six pass breakups, and one forced fumble in 14 games this season.
