TEMPE, Ariz. — When J.J. Watt walked out the door at the Arizona Cardinals‘ facility and onto the practice fields Friday morning, it hit him he’d never go to another practice as an NFL player again.
The night before, he had his last defensive line dinner, where stories were told and laughs were had.
The last days of Watt’s Hall of Fame-worthy career are almost complete. He’ll have more meetings Saturday night when the Cardinals will honor him with “something special,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said.
Then will come the defensive end’s last game, Sunday afternoon in Levi’s Stadium — the last stadium he hasn’t played in during his 12 years as a pro — against the San Francisco 49ers (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox).
Winding down his career since he announced his intention to retire two weeks ago hasn’t been all that emotional, Watt said Friday during his final weekly media gathering.
He expects Sunday to tug at his heartstrings but doesn’t think the gravity of retiring will settle in until Week 1 next season.
“That’s when it’ll really hit,” Watt said. “Definitely won’t be training camp, I can tell you that.”
He leaves behind a résumé and a legacy as one of the best defensive players of all time. His impact on those around him on a daily basis, however, is where Watt’s long-term effect on the game may be felt the most.
He’s been open and accessible during his two seasons in Arizona and his teammates, especially those on the defensive line — and specifically Zach Allen and linebacker Cam Thomas — have taken advantage of it.
But Watt hasn’t always been like that.
“There’s a part of my career where you’re trying to figure out that role where you’re not quite an old guy where you have that wisdom and knowledge, but you do have some knowledge that you can help the young guys with and you have to walk that fine line of trying to help guys but not trying to seem condescending and acting like they don’t know what they’re talking about,” Watt said.
“But these last couple years I’ve been able to really transition into that role where I’m very comfortable with myself, I’m comfortable with what I’m doing and I know that there’s knowledge that I can pass on to these young guys.”
Joseph’s hope is that Watt’s influence will be felt in the Cardinals’ locker room for years.
“I hope for a long time,” Joseph said. “Obviously, your culture is pushed and driven through your players. Every coach is saying the same thing around the country about work hard and do things right and eat right and go to sleep. But it’s just players push the culture, and Zach and you hope Myjai [Sanders] and those guys and Cam kind of take his example and kind of pass it on.”
Allen and Thomas have received a master class in rushing the passer and being an NFL player from Watt.
“It’s kind of like you always think you’re doing enough and then you see what he’s doing,” Allen said. “… You’re like, ‘OK, J.J. Watt’s doing it, I’m doing it. I gotta be doing the right thing.’”
Allen has taken advantage of being around Watt, to the point where Watt views him almost as a little brother — in addition to his other two little brothers, T.J. and Derek.
When Watt got to Arizona in 2021 after 10 seasons with the Houston Texans, Allen saw an opportunity to prove he was as strong — if not stronger — than Watt.
Allen would compete with him in the weight room, trying to put up as much or more weight than Watt, who caught on and told Allen it wasn’t worth it.
“He’s like, ‘Trust me, I’ve had enough surgeries to know you don’t want to be doing too much,’” Allen remembered Watt saying. “So, he’s helped me find like the perfect balance where it’s not over much and not under.”
Allen sat next to Watt in the back left corner of the defensive line room, D-line coach Matt Burke said. Every day, Watt would sit down, open his notebook and start taking notes as they watched film. Like clockwork, Allen would ask him questions.
“Zach asks more questions than anybody on planet Earth, I think,” Watt said. “So, sometimes I have to say, ‘All right, Zach, stop asking me questions.’ …
“It’s one of those relationships where you’re happy because you know he just wants to get better. … Sometimes, I just [say] ‘Zach, I just gotta breathe for like five seconds.’ But, it’s awesome.”
Allen doesn’t care.
“I’m gonna ask as many questions and I’m gonna make as many stupid comments as I want,” he said. “… I mean, it’s like, you have him for only so long. You want to just get as much out of him and it’s been good.”
To Burke, there couldn’t be a better person for Allen or Thomas to question.
“He’s a standard-bearer in a lot of ways at the position,” Burke said. “For me, [his] work ethic and obviously as a person, I mean, there’s a reason he’s had the influence and had the impact on the game and on the sport, and the world that he has.
“So, if you’re gonna pick somebody to emulate your game after or model your lifestyle after, I think J.J.’s as good as anybody.”
When Thomas met Watt on the first day of rookie minicamp in May, the third-round pick — who wore No. 99 at San Diego State because of Watt — walked into the weight room and saw Watt sitting on the floor.
The man he’d studied and idolized was there right before him. The way Joseph remembered it, Thomas just stared and didn’t say anything to Watt. Thomas said he didn’t want to interrupt Watt, but eventually walked over and introduced himself.
Where Thomas has learned the most from Watt has been simply by observing him.
“Seeing stuff he does, just kind of the way he practices, the way he eats, just the way he approaches the game in general,” Thomas said.
As Watt prepares to start life as a full-time dad and soccer husband — his wife Kealia is a forward for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League — he leaves behind a legacy of football prowess, excellence and domination along with knowing he’s helped whoever has wanted his help.
“The way that they soak it up, the way that they seek it out, the way that they’re eager to learn, it’s fun,” Watt said. “I mean, talking to Myjai [Sanders] and Zaven [Collins] and Cam and Zach and all these guys, and just listening to their questions and giving them insights, it really is a blast and I love it.
“And I love knowing that some of my experiences and some of the mistakes that I made can be passed on so that they don’t have to make those mistakes and so that they can improve their game that much faster.”
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