J.J. Watt urges NFL fans to take it easy as players face backlash during training camp
J.J. Watt is now retired and can sit back and watch other players participate in training camps ahead of the 2024 NFL season. But there was a time not too long ago when he would have been back on the field during this time, trying to get into shape and constantly learning and improving to remain on top.
And he knows better than most that what training camp shows you could be misinterpreted. Someone could look at a bad play in isolation and forget that it might have gone wrong because it was the first time they were trying things out. J.J. Watt took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to remind everyone of that basic fact. He wrote:
"Annual Reminder:.. Don’t make sweeping judgements on a player from one single rep in a training camp practice video... It’s practice... The entire point is to try new things, hone your skills, search for ways to improve... (Now if you consistently stink, that’s a different story)"
Is J.J. Watt missing being part of training camp?
J.J. Watt had a stellar NFL career and one cannot begrudge wanting to spend more time with his family away from the physical and mental demands professional football brings. But since he began his directive above with an "annual reminder", one could be forgiven for wondering if the defender missed doing a job where he was really elite in. After all, owning the English soccer club Burnley FC does not involve the same challenges as rushing a quarterback.
But a post from last year at the same time shows just what he thinks about the rigors of the training camp. At the time, he was in Paris enjoying a cruise down the Seine. With beautiful pictures of the Eiffel Tower and a glorious sunset, it was as perfect as one could wish to envisage. And J.J. Watt captioned that post"
"'Do you miss training camp at all?'"
He put the whole thing in quotes to ensure the sarcasm was unmissable.
Taken as a whole, it seems clear that J.J. Watt is looking out for current players and feels a kinship with the hardship they are facing. That is also not surprising considering his brother T.J. Watt is going back to play for the Steelers in 2024. So the retired legend is not as far from the action as someone else who has hung up his cleats might be. But there is no doubt that he is quite happy not to have to go back to training camp.