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Former All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt confirmed that he was considering joining his brothers, T.J. and Derek, on the Pittsburgh Steelers during his free agency in 2021.
"They were [on the list]. It certainly would have been awesome to play with my brothers, but T.J. was also going through the contract situation there, so the last thing I wanted to do was come in and take any money away from his contract," Watt said during an appearance on the Green Light podcast with two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Long.
Watt, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and five-time first-team All-Pro selection, instead signed with the Arizona Cardinals as part of a two-year deal to eventually conclude his legendary NFL career, announcing his retirement after his final home on December 27 and appearing in two more road games against the the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers during the final two weeks of the 2022 NFL season.
Last month, Watt announced his plans to join CBS' NFL coverage during the upcoming season in two videos shared on Twitter, the first joking that he "got a job at CVS," before a followup clarifying that it was actually CBS.
"I will be working at CBS this fall, key was on the hat the whole time, I really should've known," Watt joked. "But I am extremely excited to be joining JB (James Brown}, Coach [Bill Cowher], Boomer [Esiason], Phil [Simms] and Nate [Burleson], talk a little NFL this fall, talk a little life, have a global platform to make fun of my brothers on.
"It really is a great opportunity, I'm very much looking forward to it, very much looking forward to talking NFL with all you fans this fall and, hopefully, give me some knowledge, get me a little experience and maybe some laughs along the way."
Watt and his wife, professional soccer player Kealia Watt, also announced their investment in Burnely Football Club, which recently clinched promotion to the English Premier League in May.