Arizona Cardinals defensive end JJ Watt announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday after a 12-year career.

Watt, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, wrote on Twitter that he played his "last ever" home game last Sunday when the Cardinals lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 19-16 overtime.

 "My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It's been an absolute honor and a pleasure," Watt noted.

The Cardinals tweeted back, "The pleasure was all ours."

CNN reported that Arizona would finish its season with road games against the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday and the San Francisco 49ers on January 8. 

Famous for his dominance as a pass rusher, JJ Watt will likely be eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2028. 

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Football World Reacts to JJ Watt's Retirement

The 33-year-old NFL star spent his first 10 years with the Houston Texans and his last two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

He has already accumulated 111.5 sacks, 580 tackles, 313 quarterback hits, and 27 forced fumbles with only two games remaining. The former Central Michigan tight end and Wisconsin walk-on have scored three receiving touchdowns in the pros.

The football world reacted to Watt's retirement post on social media, in which he also said that the Christmas game his son attended would be his last as an NFL player, Arizona Sports reported.

Linebacker TJ Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers posted a tribute to his older sibling on Twitter.

Watt also received a farewell from media members who worked with him in the Cardinals' building and fans who admired him.

Even though Watt had an impressive final season in which he may have deserved a Pro Bowl, his dominance from 2012-2015 was likely enough to secure his place in the Hall of Fame regardless of the injuries he received the following years.

Former professional athletes, such as MLB veteran C.C. Sabathia, NFL quarterback Matt Cassel, and NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho, also gave Watt a salute on social media.

Ex-Texans CB Charles James II thanked Watt for making his life easier.

JJ Watt Dominated Houston at His Peak

Between 2012 and 2015, JJ Watt was a rising star; in those four years, he amassed 69 sacks and three Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Watt is the only player with 20 or more sacks in multiple seasons since sacks were officially tracked in 1982. He had 20.5 sacks in both the 2012 and 2014 seasons.

Watt earned the nickname "J.J. Swat" because of his ability to bat down passes, which quickly became his trademark move.

Since he entered the NFL in 2011, Watt has had the most career batted passes among active players with 60.

However, his impact was not limited to defense. The Texans even found success in the offensive end by leveraging him for touchdowns.

Watt is one of only two players - another one is Deion Sanders - to have scored a touchdown through reception and interception since the merger, according to ESPN. Moreover, he has more career sacks than any Texans player in franchise history.

His 101 sacks are near twice as many as the next-best player on the list. According to Spotrac, at the end of his career, JJ Watt will have earned more than $129 million, placing him in the top 30 highest-paid players in the NFL.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

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