In recent history, J.J. Watt is eagerly regarded as one of the best defensive players the NFL has seen. He recently announced his retirement, but now he has revealed that a potential move to an AFC team could have stopped him from quiting football.
Back in 2021, the Houston Texans decided it was time to part ways with J.J. Watt. The defensive end was one of the best players in their roster, but the team didn’t want to continue with him due to his high salary demands.
Once he was released, the Arizona Cardinals offered him a 2-year, $28 million deal, which ended after this year. Watt was no longer interested in playing, but he has now revealed that a move could have stopped him from retiring.
J.J. Watt reveals that he was close to sign with an AFC team
Even though the Arizona Cardinals had high expectations with J.J. Watt’s arrival, he fell short from them. The defensive end was unable to stay healthy, and injuries led him to the decision of retiring this year.
However, before signing with the Cardinals, J.J. Watt had another option available. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year revealed that he was close to joining the Pittsburgh Steelers to play alongside his brothers T.J. and Derek.
“They were (a possibility),” Watt said, per Sports Illustrated, about the possibility of signing with Pittsburgh in 2021. “It certainly would have been awesome to play with my brothers, but T.J. was also going through (his) contract situation there, so the last thing I wanted to do was come in and take any money away from his contract.”