JJ Watt publicly responds to Pittsburgh Steelers comeback request

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Former NFL star JJ Watt retired from the sport at the end of last season (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Former NFL star JJ Watt retired from the sport at the end of last season (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

Former NFL star JJ Watt has explained why he is not planning to return to the field anytime soon.

Watt retired from playing in the NFL at the end of the 2022 regular season, with the decision made in December last year. The former defensive end had spent 10 years with the Houston Texans before making the switch to the Arizona Cardinals in 2021.

The 34-year-old spent two years in Arizona before announcing his retirement from the NFL. However, there have been rumours in recent weeks about the possibility of Watt returning to the field less than a year after calling time on his career.

Such rumours have concerned the Pittsburgh Steelers, which Watt does have a connection with despite never having played for the franchise. Watt’s brother, TJ, is a linebacker for the Steelers and has been with the team since being drafted with the No.30 overall pick back in 2017.

Watt was asked by a fan on Twitter if he would consider returning to the NFL to play alongside his brother with the Steelers. The former Texans and Cardinals star gave a polite and honest response as to why he is not currently planning to postpone his retirement.

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“I appreciate the thought very much (and all the love from Pitt. I love you guys)", wrote Watt on Twitter in reply to a question from a fan. “But I spent the morning with my wife and 10 [month-old] son and am now making the turn after the 9th hole with a Miller Lite in one hand and a hot dog in front of me. Kinda beats practice.”

Since retiring from the NFL, Watt decided to venture into the world of English football with Burnley. The American, alongside his wife Kealia Watt, became minority investors in the club during their time in the Championship.

The deal was announced at the start of May, and now Watt is in the early stages of his first full season as part of the club’s ownership group. In the months since the investment from Watt, Burnley secured promotion to the Premier League after winning the Championship title.

Watt is not the only former NFL star to enter the world of English football ownership. Former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady became a minority owner in Championship club Birmingham City and became the chairman of the new advisory board at St Andrew’s.

Mark Wakefield

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