Despite the heartbreaking way he left the Houston Texans after the 2020 season, former All-Pro pass rusher J.J. Watt is going to be honored by the team in a big way in his first year as a retired player.
On Monday, the Texans announced that Watt will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. His induction will take place on October 1 when the Texans take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are led on defense by Watt’s brother T.J.
In a video message for the team, Watt thanked the team for drafting him back in 2011 and embracing him as their own so quickly. He said he looked forward to returning to the team and sharing some of the great moments they enjoyed once more.
“I’m unbelievable excited to be coming home and we got a whole lot of new memories to make if you’ll have me as part of your family again moving forward. Let’s get back together H-Town. I love ya,” Watt said.
“Damn, am I proud to be a Texan.”
Drop a message to welcome @JJWatt back home ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/rJMhVDA6tv
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) June 12, 2023
In his 10 seasons with the Texans, J.J. Watt enjoyed one of the most dominant stretches to a pass rusher’s career since the likes of Bruce Smith and Reggie White.
Over the course of 128 games, Watt had 101.0 sacks, 172 tackles for loss, 282 QB hits, 25 forced fumbles and three defensive touchdowns.
Canton will come calling for Watt someday, but the Texans got on the phone first.