Legendary defensive star, JJ Watt, has shocked the football world by announcing his retirement. The Arizona Cardinals player said that Sunday’s defeat by Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be his last NFL game on home turf. It marks the end of a glorious career for the 33-year old as the defensive end was voted the best defensive player in the NFL no less than three times.
Much of Watt’s glory years were spent playing with the Houston Texans where he helped the team shorten their odds at the best US sports betting sites thanks to his defensive knowhow. While things haven’t gone quite as well at the underperforming Cardinals, there is little doubt that Watt is one of the all-time greats.
Recounting Watts’ incredible career
Over his 12 years on the gridiron, JJ Watt has become the player to watch for brutal defensive play. In just over a decade, he managed to amass no less than 111.5 sacks, 580 tackles and an astonishing 27 forced fumbles.
What’s truly impressive is the way in which these playing records are spread across his career. This can be seen in the fact that Watt is the only player in four decades to have landed over 20 sacks in multiple seasons. It was this consistency that helped Watt win the defensive player of the year award in 2012, 2014 and 2015, and he even claimed the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year accolade in 2017.
Not that Watt was just a champion on the field. The player was also highly regarded for his efforts away from the gridiron as could be seen when he managed to raise over $37 million in charitable funds for the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston.
Looking back over his career, Watt said that his heart was filled with, ‘nothing but love and gratitude’ and that the home game against the Buccaneers was his final game, but also the first NFL game for his baby son, Koa.
Can the Cardinals bounce back from the loss of Watts?
Losing a legendary player like JJ Watts is never going to be easy, and it’s going to be hard to know how the Cardinals will make amends for his absence. Arizona have now failed to make the playoffs and they have just two games of the regular season left against Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers.
Most betting picks wouldn’t fancy the Cardinals against the in-form 49ers who are coming off the back of wins over the Washington Commanders, Seattle Seahawks and the Buccaneers. The game against the Falcons isn’t going to be a pretty affair as both teams are at the bottom of their divisions, but it could give the Cardinals a chance to improve on their poor 4-11 record.
Ultimately, it will all come down to what kind of deals Arizona can pull off in the 2023 draft. But with a massive hole to fill in that defensive line, it would take a brave bettor to use any sportsbook offers to make the playoffs next season.
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