J.J. Watt joined the Cardinals after a 10-year run with the Texans back in 2021, and this offseason he joined CBS Sports after announcing his retirement from the NFL. But the future Hall of Famer also almost joined another team before hanging it up, revealing on Chris Long's "Green Light" podcast that he considered signing with the Steelers to play alongside his brothers.
"They were (a possibility)," Watt said, per Sports Illustrated, confirming Pittsburgh was a suitor during his 2021 free agency. "It certainly would have been awesome to play with my brothers, but T.J. was also going through (his) contract situation there, so the last thing I wanted to do was come in and take any money away from his contract."
T.J. Watt, the youngest of the three Watt brothers, spent part of that 2021 offseason sitting out practice while negotiating a long-term deal with the Steelers. He went on to sign a four-year, $112 million extension in September, briefly becoming the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. His brother, Derek, a fullback, was also on the Steelers from 2020-2022.
As for J.J., he ultimately inked a two-year, $28M deal with the Cardinals, and played out that contract before retiring this offseason and joining CBS Sports as an NFL studio analyst. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year has openly supported the Steelers since then, praising Pittsburgh's fan base and revealing that he intends to attend some of their games in 2023.
