JJ Watt is hanging up his cleats.
The Arizona Cardinals defensive back announced Dec. 27 he is retiring from the NFL after 12 seasons.
He shared the news on Twitter, alongside a photo of his wife, soccer star Kealia Ohai Watt, and their 2-month-old son, Koa James Watt.
“Koa’s first ever NFL game. My last ever NFL home game,” the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner wrote. “My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.”
Watt has two games remaining this season, both on the road in Atlanta and San Francisco.
Watt’s surprise announcement comes after he suffered a health scare in early October when his heart went into atrial fibrillation, which causes an irregular and often very rapid heartbeat, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The 33-year-old tweeted that doctors shocked his heart back into a normal rhythm. And, three days later, on Oct. 2, he took the field for his 138th consecutive NFL game.
