JJ Watt’s illustrious career officially came to a close on Sunday as the star defensive end played his final game in the Cardinals’ 38–13 road loss to the 49ers.
Although the contest didn’t end in triumph, Watt, who announced on Dec. 27 that the 2022 season would be the last of his 12-year career, walked off the field with his head held high as the entire Levi’s Stadium crowd showed their appreciation for the future Hall of Famer.
A visibly emotional Watt exited the game to a thunderous standing ovation with 2:00 minutes left in regulation and was immediately met by a strong embrace from Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury. Watt then subtly nodded to the crowd before hugging a few teammates and members of the coaching staff.
After the game, Watt thanked NFL fans early in his last post-game press conference, telling reporters he wanted to make sure he let them know how much he appreciated their support.
“I do want to make sure the fans understand how thankful I am because I’m well aware of the fact that I live a lifestyle that I do that I never would have had a chance to live and I have memories that I never would have had because of the fans,” Watt said. “We wouldn’t get to chase around a ball as a living if it wasn’t for the fans so I want to say thank you to the fans.”
Watt also took a moment to re-iterate that he is leaving his career on his terms.
“I said I wanted to go out playing good ball and I’m playing good ball. I know I still can. I’m just choosing not to, that’s all,” he said.
Watt previously stated he realized it was more important to him to devote time to his life outside of football. Watt and his wife, NWSL star Kealia Ohai Watt, had their first child back in October; that same month, the 33-year-old had a health scare that required him to undergo treatment for a heart condition and have his heart shocked back into rhythm.
For both Watt and Arizona, Sunday’s contest was nothing more than a meaningless game with the club sitting at 4–11 and out of the playoff picture for several weeks entering the day. But, in true Watt fashion, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year left it all out on the field against the Niners.
Against San Francisco, Watt made his imposing presence known once again, logging two sacks, five tackles (three for loss) and a pass deflection. The two takedowns gave Watt 12.5 sacks on the season, his fifth-highest single-season total and his highest sack output since 2018.
Watt departs the NFL after 12 seasons and 151 career games played. In that span, Watt recorded 114.5 career sacks, 586 tackles, 27 forced fumbles and 70 passes defended. He also earned seven All-Pro selections, the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year award and became the only player in history with two 20-sack seasons.
