Though it would have plenty of appeal, don’t count on T.J. Watt starting up a podcast with J.J. Watt anytime soon. It’s not the first time the Watts have downplayed the idea of getting on a microphone, but in a recent interview with The Overlap’s Stick To Football show, J.J. said T.J. isn’t thrilled about the idea.
“T.J.’s a little different from me in that standpoint. Derek’s kinda right in the middle,” Watt said when asked about the idea of starting a podcast with his brothers. “He doesn’t love the media. He’s very, very football [focused]. We’ve talked about it. I think it’d be great because he’s hilarious.”
The question came on the heels of Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast, a rising show that exploded once Travis began dating Taylor Swift. It is now one of the most popular shows, bringing in an incredible audience. Their YouTube channel alone has over 2.3 million subscribers with full-length episodes, often hitting the million mark. The show’s most popular episode, interviewing Jason’s wife Kylie, has nearly 8 million views.
But the Watts aren’t likely to follow suit anytime soon. Though T.J. is now the only Watt brother playing in the NFL, J.J. and Derek have retired, with his focus solely on helping the Steelers win.
“I think he’s extremely focused right now. During the season, it’s really hard. I give credit to people who can do it. Imagine you’re coming off a really big loss, and you gotta go in on Tuesday about it.”
In the past, J.J.’s said he’s tried to convince T.J. to start a show with him. But his pitch hasn’t been successful.
Some Steelers players have made an attempt. During the 2023 season, CB Patrick Peterson co-hosted the All Things Covered podcast with cousin Bryant McFadden. An entertaining and honest show that often made media waves, like Peterson’s comments about picking off San Francisco 49ers’ QB Brock Purdy ahead of the season opener. Peterson missed his opportunities, gave up two touchdowns, and the 49ers won in blowout fashion.
Cam Heyward continued his Not Just Football podcast throughout the fall, though some weeks were missed as he recovered from in-season groin surgery.
If the Watt brothers start up their own podcast, it might not be until T.J. Watt also hangs up his cleats. For the Steelers’ sake, that’s hopefully not for a long time.
Check out the whole episode below.
