J.J. Watt doesn’t rule out retirement from NFL coming soon

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) celebrates after a sack during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) celebrates after a sack during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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J.J. Watt is not ruling out a retirement from the NFL in just a couple seasons after recent injuries. 

Since entering the NFL before the start of the 2011 season, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has been one of the best players on defense in the entire league…if not the best (and most important) player in the league no matter the position.

Now, after a season where he dealt with a gruesome groin injury that almost sidelined him for the 2015 campaign, Watt is telling Peter King at MMQB.com that his future might not be long in the Lone Star State or the NFL in general:

"“I have no idea when it’s going to be, when I’ll retire,” Watt said. “I’m not saying it’s not going to be two, three, four years. But I’m also not saying it’s going to be nine, 10, 11 years. I literally do not know the answer. What I do know is I’m going to continue to train my ass off. I’m going to continue to work to be the best player in the world, and whenever that doesn’t sound fun to me anymore, that’s when it’s over.”"

J.J. Watt’s injury in 2015 was so severe that the muscle was torn off the bone in his groin area multiple times during the season. Watt said he likely wouldn’t have been able to play at the Texans advanced further in the AFC Playoffs last season (they lost in the Wild Card Round to the Kansas City Chiefs).

In five seasons with the Texans, Watt has been named a first team All-Pro four times while also being named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year three times. With 74.5 sacks so early in his career, J.J. Watt would be, without a doubt, missed royally by the team and the league if he were to retire in just a few seasons.

If J.J. Watt were to retire early, the Texans could move Jadeveon Clowney (who was picked first overall in the 2014 NFL Draft) from the outside linebacker rush position to the defensive end spot on a permanent basis, the position he played in college at South Carolina.

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