(Reuters) – Three-times Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt announced his retirement from the National Football League (NFL) on Tuesday, saying on social media that he had played his last home game.
All but assured a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Watt is widely considered among the greatest-ever defensive players and was set to become a free agent after his contract with the Arizona Cardinals expired in 2023.
But Watt, who previously played for the Houston Texans, said Sunday’s 19-16 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be his last game on home turf.
“My last ever NFL home game,” said Watt, 33, who added that it was the first game his infant son Koa had attended. “My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.”
The defensive end, who was selected to the Pro Bowl five times, has two games left with the Cardinals, on the road against the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers, amid a disappointing 4-11 season.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Ed Osmond)
