J.J. Watt has been adamant he is a former NFL player. That he’s retired. But with comments like the ones he made during today’s appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, it might be a little harder to believe him.
Watt attended last Thursday’s Steelers-Titans game, a thrilling 20-16 victory for Pittsburgh that came down to one of the final plays of the game. Watt received plenty of air time before and after the game, the cameras capturing him waving his Terrible Towel and enjoying himself as he watched T.J. Watt and the Steelers came out on top.
Speaking to McAfee Wednesday, J.J. admitted it was the first time he truly missed not being out on the field. He says he got the feeling as he spoke with T.J. shortly before he left to go to the stadium Thursday night.
“He is getting ready to leave and we start talking about the pre-game,” he told McAfee. “That was truly the first time where I was like, man, I wish I was doing this right now. For that moment I was like, I do wish that I was getting ready for a game. And just that feeling that adrenaline and being able to see it and feel it in the house. It was the first time that I actually had that FOMO about it.”
And he revealed he got up the next day and worked out at the Steelers’ facility.
We have proof of the latter, Watt tweeting out this photo of him in the Steelers’ weight room the day after the Titans game.
“I went in the next day and I worked out in their facility and it’s a beautiful, it’s a great spot,” Watt said. “Being around some of those guys and the strength coaches and just kind of that atmosphere inside of a building. I mean, there’s nothing like that camaraderie, that chemistry. That feeling of being in a building. So it was fun. I enjoyed it out there. I had a great time.”
Watt did splash cold water on a potential return, reminded how nice the retired life is when T.J. talked to him the next day about how badly his body was hurting from the Titans game.
Since attending the game, Watt has embraced Pittsburgh’s culture. He tweeted that the Steelers need to make their throwback jerseys permanent and paint the end zones yellow, red meat to the fan base. And he was caught munching on Pittsburgh-based Sarris pretzels during the Titans game, which went viral in the city’s corners of the Internet.
While Watt is still most likely to remain retired, it’s clear he still has a passion for football. Midway through the season, trying to get back into football shape for a Steelers team that just got back Cam Heyward doesn’t make a lot of sense. But this is a decent cloud of smoke to the rumors that persisted throughout the offseason of Watt potentially uniting with T.J. in Pittsburgh, something that never happened and probably still never will. Still, J.J. is at least a true Yinzer and undoubtedly embracing his inner Steelers fan.
