Current:Home > InvestJ.J. Watt says he'd come out of retirement to play again if Texans 'absolutely need it'-LoTradeCoin
J.J. Watt says he'd come out of retirement to play again if Texans 'absolutely need it'
View Date:2024-12-24 08:31:46
In just one season as head coach, DeMeco Ryans turned the Houston Texans from a team that went 3-13-1 in 2022 to a 10-7 division champion. No wonder the excitement level is so high in Houston. (And the team's bold new uniforms don't hurt, either.)
Even former Texans star J.J. Watt is thinking this year's team could be something special. Special enough, perhaps, to want to be a part of it.
At his charity softball game on Saturday, Watt hinted he'd be willing to come out of retirement if he could help push the team over the top.
"I’ve had 12 great years in this league and I’m very thankful to have walked away healthy and playing great," Watt said. "I told DeMeco last year, I said, ‘Don’t call unless you absolutely need it, but if you ever do call, I’ll be there.’"
Watt, 35, played 10 seasons in Houston from 2011 to 2020, earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors three times during that span. He also played two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before announcing his retirement.
All things Texans: Latest Houston Texans news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
However, he said he's still in good enough shape physically if Ryans does want to make the call.
"This is the last year I’ll tell him that, because I’m not going to keep training the way I’ve been training, but he knows that if he ever truly does need it, I’ll be there for him," Watt said, before adding, "I don’t anticipate that happening − they’ve got a very good group."
During Watt's 10 seasons in Houston, the Texans won six AFC South titles, but never advanced past the divisional round in the playoffs.
Last season under Ryans, the Texans won the AFC South title and defeated the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round, but lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional playoffs.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- NASCAR Championship race live updates, how to watch: Cup title on the line at Phoenix
- 2 fire tanker trucks heading to large warehouse blaze crash, injuring 7 firefighters
- US Navy pilots come home after months of shooting down Houthi missiles and drones
- Suspect arrested 20 years to the day after 15-year-old Arizona girl was murdered
- Quincy Jones' cause of death revealed: Reports
- Channing Tatum Reveals the Sweet Treat Pal Taylor Swift Made for Him
- 'The View' co-host Joy Behar questions George Clooney for op-ed criticizing Joe Biden
- Judge rejects effort by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson to get records from Catholic church
- Amazon's 'Cross' almost gets James Patterson detective right: Review
- Suspect arrested 20 years to the day after 15-year-old Arizona girl was murdered
Ranking
- MLS Star Marco Angulo Dead at 22 One Month After Car Crash
- Paris Olympics ticket scams rise ahead of the summer games. Here's what to look out for.
- Former Georgia insurance commissioner sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to health care fraud
- 4-year-old girl reported missing in Massachusetts found unresponsive in neighbor's pool
- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had mild stroke this month, team says
- The race is on to save a 150-year-old NY lighthouse from crumbling into the Hudson River
- Shop Incredible Revolve Flash Deals: $138 House of Harlow Dress for $28, $22 Jennifer Lopez Shoes & More
- Diana Taurasi will have 2 courts named after her at Phoenix Mercury’s new practice facility
Recommendation
-
Minnesota county to pay $3.4M to end lawsuit over detainee’s death
-
Small Nashville museum wants you to know why it is returning artifacts to Mexico
-
Why Gilmore Girls' Keiko Agena Has Always Been Team Jess in Rory's Best Boyfriend Debate
-
Houston area deputy fatally 'ambushed' while tracking down suspect accused of assault
-
Panel advises Illinois commemorate its role in helping slaves escape the South
-
Why didn't Zach Edey play tonight? Latest on Grizzlies' top pick in Summer League
-
Blind woman says Uber driver left her stranded at wrong location in North Carolina
-
Get Lululemon's Iconic Align Leggings for $39, $128 Rompers for $39, $29 Belt Bags & More Must-Have Finds