5 times J.J. Watt proved he was the king of destroying NFL superstars
When J.J. Watt announced his retirement from the NFL at the end of the 2022 season, most fans acknowledged he was one of the best players in the league during his career.
The Houston Texans announced that they're honoring Watt by inducting him into their Ring of Honor during Houston's Week 4 bout with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"Damn, am I proud to be a Texan."
Drop a message to welcome @JJWatt back home ⤵️ https://t.co/rJMhVDA6tv
Watt spent 10 seasons with the Texans before spending the final two years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals. In that time, Watt was a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and racked up 114.5 sacks and 195 TFLs.
He was a beast when healthy and an absolute nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. Here are five players against whom Watt proved his dominance.
#5 - Andrew Luck
Spending the majority of his career in the AFC South, J.J. Watt had his fair share of matchups with former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
Arguably Watt's best game against Luck came in 2014, the year he won NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the second time.
In Week 5 on TNF, Watt had two sacks on Luck, including a strip-sack, which he returned for a 45-yard touchdown. The Colts won the game, but Watt had a huge impression on this game.
#4 - Eli Manning
Right before Eli Manning called it a career, he faced off against Watt, who had a fine game in 2018. Despite losing 27-22, Watt had two sacks on Manning and clocked up eight combined tackles as he got through the Giants' offensive line at will.
Given these first two examples, had Watt been on a better team, there's no doubt he would have made it to a Super Bowl.