The Surprise That Had J.J. Watt In Tears Before His Final NFL Game
At the tail end of December 2022, Arizona Cardinals player J.J. Watt announced that he was retiring. Sharing side-by-side pictures of him holding his baby son Koa with his wife on the field, Watt tweeted, "Koa's first ever NFL game. My last ever NFL home game. My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It's been an absolute honor and a pleasure."
As reported by the NFL, Watt later revealed his reason for retiring. "I've known for a little while. It's the right time," Watt said to reporters following the announcement. "It feels like the right time. I've put so much into the game and the wins and the losses, the mental stress and passion that comes with it, it just weighs on you. It's heavy, I mean it's really heavy," he shared. Watt admitted that his "heart scare" had something to do with his decision to quit. During the season, he wound up in the hospital due to atrial fibrillation which resulted in doctors having to shock his heart. However, he still went on to play that week.
On January 8, Watt played his last game for the Cardinals, which sadly resulted in a loss. His final moments as a football player were emotional, and a special surprise before his final game may have given him extra motivation.
J.J. Watt receives a touching video from his colleagues
Before his last time on the football field, J.J. Watt was surprised with a video montage of his NFL family bidding him farewell (via NFL). The first one on the screen was his brother and fellow football player T.J. Watt. "Brother, J, I just want to say congratulations on retirement. You and your resiliency throughout all the ups and downs. You ending up in the NFL and you being the defensive player of the year and you having all the success that you had, showed me that it's possible," Watt watched as he broke down in tears.
Football legend Peyton Manning stated, "Congratulations on your incredible football career," while Tom Brady joked, "Man you were a pain in my a** for a long time, it was an honor to share the field with you." Watt's wife Kealia Watt held their son Koa while she told her husband, "It has been such an honor to watch you work your a** off these past years and do whatever you needed to do to be the best. And you have always been so generous and kind and loving to everybody around you and you never forgot who you are."
Following his final game, Watt received a standing ovation from the crowd and his teammates, per CNN. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year went out with a bang and many believe he'll get voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.