JJ Watt may have made a promise that will only give Bengals fans false hope

The Cincinnati Bengals are already a great team. Despite just missing out on the playoffs this year, that roster is stacked but just didn't gel together until it was too late - especially on defense. The team gave up 53 touchdowns, tied for fourth-most in the league, and ranked 21st against the pass but could a future Pro Football Hall of Fame pass rusher help shore up that side of the ball in 2025?

That's what one star footballer thinks. Wait, not that kind of football. Burnley F.C. goalkeeper James Trafford petitioned his team's minority owner, retired star defensive end JJ Watt, to put the cleats back on for his favorite team from Ohio next year in an Instagram direct message.

Watt apparently responded to Trafford's plea on Dec. 28 and agreed to come out of retirement but on one very important condition: Trafford had to shut out every opponent of Burnley's from then until the end of the season for it to happen. Burnley plays in the second tier of English football, the SkyBet Championship (one tier below the Premier League).

JJ Watt probably regrets making a bet with Bengals fans he can't make good on

Fast forward to now, mid-January, and Trafford has recorded a clean sheet in each of the four matches he's started for Burnley since he and Watt made their cross-sport bet. Watt posted a screenshot of their brief exchange on X/Twitter on Saturday, noting the agreement was becoming "a bit of a concern" for him.

However, Bengals fans shouldn't be holding their collective beath for two reasons. First, what Trafford is doing on the pitch is remarkable yet very likely unsustainable. Burnley still has at least 20 matches remaining and barring an injury that would sideline him before he gives up a goal (which would give him the win on a technicality), he's probably not pitching a shutout the rest of the year.

On the other hand, Watt has previously stated he's not getting back into football, not even for his beloved Houston Texans he spent 10 years with. So, his little bet was made in jest and now he's making it look like he's sweating it out after not even a month.

While I'm sure football fans would love to see Watt put the pads on one last time, it's probably not happening. Even if Trafford pulls off the improbable, it's not guaranteed Watt would even be in good enough shape to earn a spot on Cincinnati's roster. Nonetheless, this bet will still be fun to keep track of the rest of the year.