J.J. Watt will end his career after the current season. After twelve years in the NFL for the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year is hanging up his boots. A career without equal, but with one major flaw.

J.J. Watt will end his career after this season. The Arizona Cardinals defensive end made the announcement via Twitter Week 17 ago, posting a picture of him holding his son, Koa, alongside his wife, Kealia, at last Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

“Koa’s first NFL game ever. My last NFL home game ever. My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It was an absolute honour and a great pleasure.”

The 33-year-old will thus end his 12-year career in the NFL with stints with the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers after the Cardinals were eliminated from the playoff race early.

J.J. Watt: One of the NFL’s all-time greats calls it quits

Meanwhile, US pundits heaped praise on the five-time Pro Bowler shortly after the retirement announcement. “Without a doubt a Hall of Famer,” wrote NFL insider Ian Rapoport. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network called Watt “one of the best players of his generation”.

And for Greg Rosenthal, “Watt at his peak probably surpassed any defensive play he ever saw” – to quote just a few of the countless hat-tipping NFL insiders.

Appreciation from all sides for one of the greats – and quite rightly so. Watt will retire as one of the most dominant defensive players of his generation.

One of three brothers to play in the NFL, he is one of only three players, along with Aaron Donald and Lawrence Taylor, to be named Defensive Player of the Year three times.

All three awards came while he was with the Houston Texans (2012, 2014 and 2015) – the franchise that drafted him in the first round at No. 11 in 2011.

J.J. Watt: One of the best defenders in NFL history

The quarterback-chaser will finish his career with the Cardinals, with whom Watt signed before the 2021 season after previously spending 10 seasons with the Texans.

Watt has 445 tackles, 111.5 sacks and 27 forced fumbles in 149 games to date, according to Pro Football Reference, which ranks 26th in the NFL’s career rankings. A statistic that has been officially kept since 1982. He is also the only player to record more than 20 sacks in multiple seasons (2012, 2014), according to “ESPN”.

Since Watts was drafted, there have only been three other players – Von Miller, Cameron Jordan and Chandler Jones – who have recorded more sacks than him. The defensive end also ranks first in passes intercepted, second in fumble recoveries and third in forced fumbles during that span.

Watt also has a total of 28 games with at least two sacks – five more than any other player since 2011, according to “ESPN Stats & Information Research.”

He is one of only four players in NFL history to have both 100 sacks and five touchdowns in their career. Watt also has four seasons with at least 15 sacks; only his childhood idol and Hall of Famer Reggie White (5) has had several such seasons since 1982.

One major flaw remains, however, despite a career that is second to none and will inevitably end in Canton, Ohio. Watt won’t be eligible for the NFL Hall of Fame until 2028 anyway.

J.J. Watt: Unsuccessful pursuit of Super Bowl titles a major flaw

Among all the fabulous numbers Watt has put up over the years, he was denied the big time with both the Texans and Cardinals, and the outsized hands over the years have been appropriately without a championship ring despite individual excellence.

Justin James, J.J.’s real name, has been on the field in the playoffs for a total of six seasons in his career and played a total of nine games in the postseason. However, it was not enough for the eagerly hoped-for Super Bowl participation.

Injuries often got in the way of Watt’s pursuit of the title. If the number 99 didn’t miss a single game in his first five years in the NFL, the body of the one-man wrecking crew on defence was to take more and more of a toll in the years that followed.

J.J. Watt: Injury proneness overshadows career

The list of injuries is long, Watt’s downtime was even longer as his career progressed. Fractured tibia, staph infection, broken hand, dislocated shoulder, torn abdominal muscles, back surgery – to name just a few of the biggest reasons for absences, which led to a total of 42 missed games.

Before the current season, Watt also had a diagnosed heart rhythm disorder, specifically atrial fibrillation, treated with an electric shock.

After the birth of his first child last October, the premature end to his career can perhaps also be seen as a kind of self-protective measure against worse consequences. After all, the doctors had told Watt during the treatment that the heart rhythm disorder could recur at any time. At the time, Watt had resumed training three days after the treatment.

Over the years, there have probably been too many absences due to injuries to lead his teams in the decisive games one round further to the Super Bowl triumph.

Watt’s individual achievements, inimitable leadership skills and unparalleled career stats stand for themselves despite the title flaw.

J.J. Watt: An absolute role model off the field as well

In addition to Watt’s sporting successes, his commitment off the pitch will also be remembered long after his career.

His foundation has raised more than $6.7 million since its inception in 2010, when he was still in college – far more than its target of $100,000, as he recently explained on Twitter.

Following the terrible damage caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Watt’s foundation also raised more than 37 million dollars for the victims of the natural disaster. His original goal for this was $200,000, according to his own statement.

So not only is the NFL losing one of its greatest players, but also one of its most important faces off the field.