JJ Watt, the football defensive end who currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals has announced his retirement at the end of this NFL season. It has shocked the team as well as fans across the country.
Watt rose to fame as a DE for the Houston Texans, where he played for 9 years. He has also been extremely generous with his wealth, donating millions to Texas after Hurricane Harvey.
At 33 years old, many assumed he’d play for a few more years. After all, look at Tom Brady still playing into his 40s.
Of course, anyone who has been watching the games knows that Watt had a heart scare earlier in the season. They had to shock his heart to get him going again — and that’s likely enough to get anyone thinking about getting out of the game.
He told reporters, “I’ve known for a little while. It’s the right time.”
Meanwhile, the Cardinals’ head coach Kliff Kingsbury “had no idea” that he was going to be retiring. However, he is still happy for the DE and looks forward to seeing what’s next for him.
Watt is doing it the smart way — going out while he’s still on top. He has admitted that he’s ready to not dedicate all of his energy to the game anymore. Instead, he’s looking forward to spending more time with his wife and son.
As for what the future holds, Watt has plenty of options. He hosted Ultimate Tag on Fox with his brothers. While it wasn’t renewed for a second season, it showed that Watt has what it takes to be a TV personality.
Who knows? Maybe Watt will go on to become a sportscaster. No matter what, we’re likely not done hearing about his philanthropic side.
