J.J. Watt may have hung up his cleats after the 2022 season, but it wouldn’t be the last time he stepped into an NFL locker room. Watt was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ guest last month, spending a few days at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex to hang with younger brother T.J. Watt and walk in his shoes.
Discussing the experience on The Pat McAfee Show Wednesday, Watt shared how special those moments were.
“I really, really enjoyed stopping by the training camps,” Watt told the show. “I’ve never been to a Mike Tomlin practice or meeting. I got to sit in on them all. Obviously, I’ve heard all the stories over the years of everybody talking about him. And for me it was really cool to sit in that meeting and see he is who he is.
“I mean, every single day. I was there on a random, I think it was a Tuesday, and his meeting was exactly how you would expect a Mike Tomlin meeting to go. You left, informed, educated, motivated, ready to roll.”
Mike Tomlin made sure to shout J.J. out with this photo of the two of them on the practice field.
It was Watt’s second trip to Pittsburgh after serving as special guest for the team’s primetime victory over the Tennessee Titans last November. But it sounds like this experience was more in-depth and focused on the Steelers rather than touring the city. After wrapping up his stay, Watt shared this tweet with photos of T.J.
“For me to watch T.J. in his environment as the captain of the Pittsburgh Steelers. And just to watch him as this historic, iconic franchise goes out there and be this incredible player, this leader,” he wrote. “As an older brother, was a really, really cool and special thing for me to see that.”
J.J. later added he “couldn’t be more proud” of T.J. the person (and soon-to-be-father) and player.
Watt is retired but hasn’t ruled out a comeback, leaving the door open if the stars were to align in 2024. What situation he would need to return isn’t clear and last year felt like the year to do it. He could’ve returned to Houston and helped the Texans on their playoff push or helped Pittsburgh after losing Cam Heyward in the regular season opener. Most likely, he would look to join a team with a clear Super Bowl shot late in the year.
Doing it with Pittsburgh would be special but if the Steelers’ defensive line stays healthy and plays up to expectations, there won’t be a serious need for Watt, even if turning down his phone call would be difficult.
