“I would have done it” - J.J. Watt opens up on possibility of coming out of retirement to play for Bengals

A friendly bet between a former five-time All-Pro defensive end and an English goalkeeper could have seen one of the great NFL pass rushers come out of retirement.

J.J. Watt made that bet with James Trafford, goalkeeper for Championship side Burnley, that if the latter didn’t concede a goal, the former Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals pass rusher would come out of retirement to join the Cincinnati Bengals.

Watt says he would’ve honored that bet on the Pat McAfee Show Thursday.

I would have done it, but I told her (his wife), I’ll play for the minimum, I’ll go do it because it’s that impressive, and I said I would do it, Watt admitted at:40.

On March 4 of this year, the possibility of Watt returning was off the table when Trafford conceded a 42nd-minute goal to Cardiff City in a 2-1 victory. Burnley hadn’t given up a goal in 12 consecutive Championship games before Tuesday’s match.

If he does this, it would be one of the greatest athletic feats in history, and I will absolutely honour my end of it because that would be unbelievable, Watt said about Trafford at:30.

Watt hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2022 season with the Cardinals, finishing his last tour of duty with 39 tackles, 18 for a loss with 12.5 sacks and one forced fumble in 16 games.

The Bengals could use a player like Watt

It’s too bad for the Bengals that Watt is no longer an option because he might’ve been able to help them defensively in 2025.

Trey Hendrickson led the Bengals with 17.5 sacks last season, the same amount he had in 2023. Outside of him though Cincy struggled with Sam Hubbard registering just two sacks, the second-most on the team in 2024. The Bengals finished last season with 36 team sacks, good for 25th in the entire NFL.

While Watt is a few years out of playing professionally, he has previously been to five Pro Bowls and led the league in sacks twice. The Wisconsin-born player was previously inducted into the Houston Texans Ring of Honor and led the NFL in forced fumbles in 2018.

During his illustrious NFL career, he recorded 20.5 sacks in two separate seasons. One of the few things missing from his Hall of Fame resume is a Super Bowl, which the Bengals are seeking after coming up just short in the 2021 season.