J.J. Watt recently retired which seemingly puts a bow on his legendary, sure-fire Hall of Fame career.
However, could he possibly consider coming out of retirement to join his brother T.J. in Pittsburgh?
He was asked just that in an appearance on Chris Long’s “Green Light” podcast.
Watt disclosed that he had contemplated signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers to play alongside his brothers, T.J. and Derek. The Watt brothers have been part of the Steelers organization, with T.J. negotiating a lucrative contract extension in 2021.
“They were (a possibility),” Watt said in confirmation of Pittsburgh’s interest during his 2021 free agency. “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.”
T.J., the youngest of the Watt siblings, had an eventful offseason in 2021 negotiating a long-term deal with the Steelers. He ultimately signed a four-year, $112 million extension in September, briefly becoming the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.
Meanwhile, Derek Watt, a fullback, was also part of the Steelers organization from 2020 to 2022.
In the end, J.J. sealed a two-year, $28 million contract with the Cardinals, playing out the duration of that deal before deciding to retire.
Despite not joining the Steelers, the future Hall of Famer has remained a vocal supporter of the team, expressing admiration for Pittsburgh’s passionate fan base.
He even revealed his plans to attend some of their games during the upcoming 2023 season.
While J.J. Watt’s career on the field may have come to an end, his impact as a respected figure in the NFL continues.
With his transition to the broadcasting world with his new role at CBS Sports, fans can expect to see Watt offering his insights and analysis from the studio, while still maintaining his honorary ties to the Steelers and their passionate fan base.
But think about what could have been…
Would you have liked to see the Watt brothers play together?
Where do you rank J.J. when it comes to the greatest defensive players of all-time?
The more interesting question is will T.J. end up being the best Watt of all?