Steelers Now
Former defensive end J.J. Watt reveals how close he came to joining his brothers on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
There have been several rumors that former defensive end J.J. Watt has considered coming out of retirement to reunite and play with his brothers, T.J. and Derek, on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year recently revealed there is some truth to those rumors and one thing held him back from doing so.
“I would have loved to, man, but the thing I always talk about is T.J. was in the middle of a contract negotiation there and I wasn’t going to take away any money from his big negotiation that he was going through,” Watt said Monday night on ESPN’s Peyton & Eli. “I very much would have loved it. I would have only come out of retirement for two situations, the Steelers or the Texans, the last couple years. Didn’t end up working out in any capacity.”
T.J. Watt and the Steelers eventually agreed to a record-breaking contract extension that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league.
However, it’s surely difficult to hear how close J.J. Watt came to doning the black and gold with his brothers, which is something he always dreamed of.
“I’m always jealous,” Watt continued. “They played high school. They played college and they played NFL together, and it just seems like the coolest experience ever.”
J.J. Watt’s best football was behind him when he was considering coming to Pittsburgh, but there’s no doubt he still could have made an impact after recording 586 tackles, 114.5 sacks, 27 forced fumbles, 17 fumble recoveries, 70 passes defensed, two interceptions and two touchdowns from 2011-22.
Fans can only imagine what could have been now as J.J. Watt seems firmly set in his retirement. Derek Watt also announced his retirement in 2024 after not being signed to a team for the 2023 season.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: J.J. Watt Reveals What Prevented Him From Signing With Steelers
