Defensive end J.J. Watt. Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Texans to honor J.J. Watt after messy breakup

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 6/12/23

The Houston Texans and retired superstar J.J. Watt are beginning the new chapter of their relationship on positive terms.

The Texans confirmed Monday that they will induct Watt into their Ring of Honor during their Week 4 home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 1.

"We are so excited to have J.J. Watt join the Ring of Honor as our third member," franchise owners Janice, Hannah and Cal McNair said for the official news release. "Everybody knows how much J.J. means to our family, the Texans organization and the entire City of Houston. He is one of the most dominant players in NFL history and he created a unique and irreplaceable bond with our fans. J.J. has always kept a special place in Houston's heart and we're thrilled to welcome him back. On the behalf of the entire organization, we can't wait to give J.J. and his family the celebration he deserves on Oct. 1."

Watt originally joined the Texans as the 11th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft and built the majority of his Hall-of-Fame résumé with that organization through the 2020 season.

With Houston, Watt earned three NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards, five first-team All-Pro nods and the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

As Kevin Patra noted for the NFL website, though, Watt confirmed in February 2021 he asked for his release from the Texans, a wish granted by the McNair family.

Houston, I wanted you to hear this directly from me... pic.twitter.com/YqT3P6Lb6l
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) February 12, 2021

Watt ultimately joined the Arizona Cardinals and said in March 2021 that leaving Houston "was extremely difficult." That same month, though, a former Texans coach generated headlines when he claimed that Watt was "selfish," "only cared about his stats," did "a lot of things that (hurt) the defense" and "hurt us more than he helped us."

In October of that year, Watt said the Texans were "not the same organization that I remember and that I was a part of."

Any harsh feelings shared between the two seem to be in the past, as Watt declared in a video shared on Monday he is now "proud to be a Texan."

"Damn, am I proud to be a Texan."

Drop a message to welcome @JJWatt back home ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/rJMhVDA6tv
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) June 12, 2023

While Watt sounds at peace with his decision to retire following the 2022 season, the Wisconsin native indicated last month he wanted to ride off into the sunset as a member of the Green Bay Packers.

Whatever his intentions were in the winter of 2021, the greatest overall player in Texans history will enjoy a deserved homecoming on the first Sunday of October 2023.

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