J.J. Watt's final NFL Sunday started off on a pretty cool note. Watt's younger brothers, T.J. Watt and Derek Watt, who both play for the Steelers, repped their big brother's Cardinals jersey ahead of their game against the Browns.
J.J., based on his reaction via Twitter, clearly appreciated the gesture.
Man oh man, I wasn’t ready for this this morning.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 8, 2023
Genuinely could not ask for two better brothers.
This means the world to me.
🙏🏼 https://t.co/q56CUOzzyz
It's clear that both Derek and T.J. have a profound respect for J.J., whose career will undoubtedly end up on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Watt was an All-Pro each season from 2012-15 as a member of the Houston Texans. He enters Sunday's game against the 49ers with 112.5 career sacks, 27 forced fumbles, 17 fumble recoveries and 192 tackles for loss.
Watt has turned back the clock this season, his second with the Cardinals. The 33-year-old defensive end enters Week 18 with 10.5 sacks while posting his first double-digit sack season since 2018.
T.J. Watt, who is also putting together a career that may one day be immortalized in Canton, Ohio, spoke at length about his respect for J.J. and his career ahead of the 2022 season.
"I want people to understand how great my brother truly was in his prime," T.J. said on the Pivot Podcast. "I think that it gets lost today, and I know he'd be upset if I said this, but I think it truly is. You go back, and you look, you watch the film, the guy was freaking unstoppable. Absolutely unstoppable.
"I think people need to go back and look at that. The guy was doing incredible things for four or five years, and I think he can still play at a high level. I think I'm too early in my career to compare myself to him at the moment, honestly."
