J.J. Watt is well on his way to becoming one of the leading voices in the NFL world.
Of course, the former Houston Texans star is one of the best defensive players of the 21st century. Watt, who played in the league for 12 seasons, winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards, shined on and off the field for the Houston Texans. He finished his career with the Arizona Cardinals, playing for the NFC West franchise from 2021-22. And while Watt dominated on the field, he shined even more off of it. Watt was known for his incredible charitable efforts during his time in the league. Most notably, he raised $37 million ($100,000 of which was donated personally) to help Houston recover from Hurricane Harvey.
Some NFL fans have speculated about Watt's politics, too. Over the years, he's made it clear where he stands.
NFL fans once suggested that Watt, who played collegiately at Wisconsin, would never kneel for the national anthem, like many of his teammates did during the 2016 and '17 protests.
"Don't speak for me," Watt responded to the fan.
"If you still think it's about disrespecting the flag or our military, you clearly haven't been listening."
Watt had previously sounded off on police brutality, following the death of George Floyd in 2020. The former NFL star was disgusted and upset over the video. He believed that swift and strong action needed to be taken in order to right the wrongs in the police department.
"I think that there's no explanation for it. I mean, to me, it doesn't make any sense. I just don't see how a man in handcuffs on the ground who is clearly detained and clearly ... in distress -- I don't understand how that situation can't be remedied in a way that doesn't end in his death. I think that it needs to be addressed, strongly, obviously," Watt told reporters, according to Sports Illustrated.
Watt will have the opportunity to speak out more moving forward. He's landed a prominent role at CBS, becoming part of the network's pregame show, along with James Brown, Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher and Matt Ryan.
The former Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals star is incredibly thoughtful and well spoken. We would love to hear Watt branch out on non-football topics moving forward in life.
Watt is a part of CBS's NFL coverage each and every Sunday.