JJ Watt reveals why he didn't want to play alongside brothers with Steelers

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The Watt brothers are a rare breed — they are one of three sets of three brothers to have played in the NFL at the same time.

The eldest Watt, J.J., decided to call it a career after the 2022 season. The other two brothers, T.J. and Derek, played for the Pittsburgh Steelers last year.

If J.J. played for the Steelers, it would have marked the first time that three brothers suited up for the same team.

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From left: The Pittsburgh Steelers' T.J. Watt and Derek Watt talk with J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans after Pittsburgh's 28-21 win at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Sept. 27, 2020. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

Of course, that would have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and J.J. looks back on it as a bit of a missed opportunity.

"There’s definitely a part of me that wishes I could’ve played with them…It would have been an absolute dream come true to play with all three of us on the same team," he told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

That actually almost came about a couple of years ago. When J.J. reached free agency after the 2021 season, his brothers' squad was actually a suitor for him. However, the Steelers were also discussing contract extensions with T.J., who has become one of the best linebackers in the game.

Older brothers tend to take advantage of that title when they can, but J.J. is probably the nicest older brother ever, and he was not going to let his free agency affect his sibling's financial situation.

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From left: Derek Watt, J.J. Watt and T.J. Watt appear in the "You Better Run" season-premiere episode of "Ultimate Tag." (FOX via Getty Images)

"When free agency came about, I’ve said it before, T.J. was going through a contract situation, they didn’t have his contract figured out and everything, so I didn’t want to mess with that at all," J.J. revealed. "I wanted to make sure he had his situation figured out and get taken care of there, and I didn’t want my free agency addition to take any money away from his opportunity."

It all worked out — the older Watt inked a two-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals, and T.J. signed an extension worth $112 million with $80 million of it guaranteed, which made him, at the time, the highest-paid defensive player in the league. He parlayed that into his first Defensive Player of the Year nod.

T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts after making a sack during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Jan. 1, 2023. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

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Now, J.J. says he is excited to watch some Steelers games this season from the couch in his first year as a former player.