TL;DR
- J.J. Watt, retired, commentated as his brother T.J. Watt broke his sack record.
- T.J. Watt surpassed J.J. Watt's career sack total of 114.5 during a game.
- The Watt brothers are the only siblings to each achieve over 100 sacks in the NFL.
- Both J.J. and T.J. Watt are considered Hall of Fame bound players.
Throughout NFL annals, numerous brother duos have competed and thrived at the highest level. However, few, if any, have matched the impact of J.J. And T.J. Watt, the formidable pass-rushing brothers who carved out distinguished careers by dominating opposing quarterbacks.
Fortuitously, JJ Watt, who is now retired, served as a commentator for the game where his younger brother set the family's sack record. JJ recorded his career's 115th sack during Pittsburgh's 31-28 defeat against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Watt appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday to talk about his emotions regarding watching and announcing the game where TJ achieved this significant mark.
"I did not think it was going to be that big of a deal," JJ said. "We never talked about it until the actual day of the game... TJ and I did not talk about it until in the tunnel, before the game."
"It turned out to be much cooler and more special than I thought it would. I've always said, I'll be unbelievably proud when it happens, and I believe he'll shatter every record I have. And I could not be happier for him; he works so hard. He's done it at such an insanelty high level for so long, and he deserves it. He'll break everything I got."
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In 2022, JJ concluded his career, having achieved 114.5 quarterback knockouts throughout his storied tenure. The Watts brothers stand alone as the sole sibling pair to each surpass 100 sacks during their NFL careers.
The Watt brothers are both destined for The Hall of Fame.
As both Watts brothers are headed for enshrinement in Canton, the older sibling, J.J., will probably be inducted when he's eligible in 2027. He earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors three times while playing for the Texans, concluding his career with two seasons for the Arizona Cardinals. Beyond his numerous awards, he accumulated 386 total tackles alongside his sack numbers, and he's widely regarded as one of the most exceptional players in the history of the Houston Texans.
Selected by the Steelers in the 2017 NFL Draft's first round, TJ is a former Defensive Player of the Year and set the single-season record for sacks in 2021 with 22.5. His resume already merits Hall of Fame consideration, and at 31, he might surpass all existing records before retiring.