Arizona Cardinals defensive line JJ Watt announced he will be retiring after the 2022 NFL season, ending his football career after 12 iconic seasons.
Watt, who turns 34 years old in March, entered the league as the 11th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. The 6-foot-5 defensive end would go on to become one of the most disruptive defensive players of his era.
- JJ Watt career stats: 313 QB hits, 191 tackles for loss, 111.5 sacks, 27 forced fumbles
A three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner and a seven-time All-Pro selection, Watt played 10 seasons with Houston before spending his last two years with the Cardinals.
As Arizona heads into its final two games of the season, road games against the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers, Watt is ready to take the field for the final time.
Will JJ Watt be a Hall of Famer?
Watt’s list of accomplishments on the football field will make him one of the best defensive linemen of his generation. Playing for the Wisconsin Badgers (2008-’10), he was a first-team All-American and won the Lott Trophy Award.
- JJ Watt career earnings: $129.448 million
As one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL, he was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team thanks to a stretch that made him one of the best players in football. From 2011-’19, Watt recorded 96 sacks with 54 pass deflections and 23 forced fumbles in 112 games.
He ranks 26th on the official all-time NFL sack leaders list, just 0.5 sacks shy of former teammate Chandler Jones. With two games left to play, Watt could pass Sean Jones (113 sacks) on the all-time list.
He will also be remembered for his contributions off the field during his playing career. He was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year winner in 2017 after he helped raise more than $27 million through his Hurricane Harvey fundraiser.
Pro Football Reference’s Hall of Fame Monitor puts Watt in company with Michael Strahan, Willie Davis, Deacon Jones and Jack Youngblood. Considering his career accomplishments and reputation among voters, Watt will be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.