JJ Watt delivers 4-word message to Lavonte David after brutal stat comparison

On Monday, JJ Watt didn’t mince words after seeing a hard-hitting stat list from football analyst Aaron Schatz. The list ranked the most “defeats” in a season since 1994, adding turnovers, tackles for loss and stops on 3rd/4th down. Watt topped the list, but what stood out more was who didn’t get enough shine.

Watt shared a four-word reaction on X:

“Lavonte David criminally underrated,” Watt tweeted.

Lavonte David’s 2024 season stats say it all: 122 tackles, 5.5 sacks, six passes defensed and three forced fumbles. He started all 17 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and led the team in tackles.

And it’s not just a one-year outlier. In 2022, he posted 124 total tackles and three sacks. David returned strong after a 2021 foot injury and a stint on IR. He had three straight one-year deals with Tampa Bay, with the most recent he signed last month.

David’s draft story only adds to the chip on his shoulder. Teams once questioned if he had the size to stick at linebacker. But after 13 seasons, multiple 100+ tackle years and constant leadership on the Bucs’ defense, he’s silenced all doubts. David ranked No. 99 in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024.

J.J. Watt joins CBS’ No. 2 NFL booth in 2025 alongside Ian Eagle

J.J. Watt is set to move from the CBS studio to the booth in 2025, stepping in as a game analyst alongside Ian Eagle on the network’s No. 2 NFL broadcast team. The shift comes as Charles Davis transitions to lead college football coverage following Gary Danielson’s retirement after next season.

Watt joined CBS Sports in 2023 after wrapping up a 12-season NFL career with the Texans and Cardinals. He’s spent the past two years sharing weekly insights on “The NFL Today,” earning praise for his balanced analysis.

As Watt revealed during a Texans podcast, “GOAT Talk,” on Friday, his on-field experience shapes how he approaches criticism.

“It would be very weird if I didn’t have some tie to the game because I love watching it, talking about it, breaking it down,” Watt said. “At the same time, I have a very difficult time criticizing guys because I was on the field.

I know, like you got a guy who breaking down film and he’s drawing up the plays and you’re like, ‘That’s not my assignment, that’s not my job, and you just threw all this blame on me on national TV,’ so I never want to be that guy, and so I’m always careful from that standpoint, but it has been really, really fun still being a part of the game.”

This move comes as CBS prepares to broadcast the Super Bowl to cap the 2027 season.

JJ Watt’s next chapter in the booth begins just as Paramount Global enters the third year of its $2.1 billion-per-year media rights deal.