JJ Watt claps back at critic who says he 'can't play anymore'

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Former Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt is now an NFL legend, as he officially hung up the cleats and retired after the 2022 season.

Watt played 12 NFL seasons, was named to five All-Pro teams and was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

A Twitter user tried to get Watt out of retirement recently, photoshopping a picture of him in a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey alongside his brothers, Derek and T.J., who play for the black and gold.

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Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt celebrates a sack against the Denver Broncos during the first half of an NFL game at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Dec. 18, 2022. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Watt joked that he didn't "love them THAT much," but another Twitter user put him to the test.

"guys, he can't play anymore because of his health, he's doing it too much past 10 years in the league, he's has had enough for his pain, love for him to play but it's too much, father time," @billyWimberly3 tweeted.

While it's true that Watt has had trouble staying on the field in recent years (he played in three, five, eight and seven games in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021, respectively), his final season was not the case. 

Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt celebrates a defensive stop against the Houston Texans during the first half of an NFL game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Oct. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Watt played in 16 of 17 games this year, and he also looked like his vintage self — to which he reminded the critic.

"Don’t mistake 'choosing not to' for 'can’t,'" he tweeted, along with lists of the season leaders in sacks and tackles for loss.

Well, his name was included in those lists. 

In his final season, at age 33, Watt's 12.5 sacks ranked tied for eighth in the NFL, while his 18 tackles for loss was the fourth-best mark in football.

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Watt had 114.5 sacks in his career and 195 tackles for loss. His 12.5 sacks last season was the sixth time he went into double-digits.

He spent 10 years with the Houston Texans and his final two with the Cardinals.