Now that J.J. Watt has retired from football, he’s looking for what comes next. And like many retired players, he’s angling to break into the podcast and media world. The first step is convincing brother T.J. Watt to become his co-host.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, J.J. said he’s open to the idea of starting his own podcast if he can get his younger brother to join him.
“I’m trying to convince T.J. We’ll see,” Watt told SI in a clip posted to their YouTube channel.
J.J. said he’s yet to find a successful angle to pitch T.J. beyond the idea that they’re both funny and could make for an entertaining show. No word on if Derek Watt would also be a co-host. He remains a free agent.
While retired players like Ben Roethlisberger have had success in that arena, so have current players. And if T.J. does agree, he’ll be one of several active Steelers to have a show. Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football show started last year and has been well-received, though his episodes don’t garner the views others, like Roethlisberger’s, do. Still, Heyward just had a live episode during draft weekend, bringing on special guests Kenny Pickett, Pat Freiermuth, and Steelers scout and former RB Merril Hoge.
Newly signed cornerback Patrick Peterson is a co-host of the All Things Covered podcast with cousin and ex-Steeler Bryant McFadden. They’ve also had notable guests, including Joey Porter Jr. shortly before Pittsburgh made him the first of their two second-round picks last Friday night.
J.J. admitted the difficulty of convincing T.J. to do it is the reality there could be tough weeks during the season.
“My brother and I have talked about it,” J.J. Watt said. “It’s hard when you’re an active player…if you do a podcast and you lose that week, you still have to go on and talk about random things. All that’s going on in your head is, I want to go back out there.”
It’s certainly created some uncomfortable moments on Heyward’s podcast, especially the first half of 2022 when the Steelers got off to a miserable start. But Heyward handled those moments well, not shying away from the outcomes, while still adding in a mix of non-Steelers talk.
Arguably the most popular podcast hosted by active players is the New Heights Podcast with co-hosts and brothers Jason and Travis Kelce. Despite being relatively new, the show immediately gained popularity in part due to their laidback attitude and candor about the league. It helped both played on wildly successful teams and that the two met in last year’s Super Bowl, which the Kansas City Chiefs came out on top in.
If T.J. agrees to do a show with J.J., we’ll keep close tabs on those conversations.
