"Will absolutely follow through" - J.J. Watt confirms NFL comeback if Burnley's James Trafford completes historic streak

J.J. Watt retired from the NFL in 2022, but a fun bet with Burnley FC goalkeeper James Trafford might change that. Watt, Burnley’s part-owner, made a playful deal: If Trafford finishes the season without letting in a single goal, Watt will come out of retirement and play for the Cincinnati Bengals.

At first, it was just a joke, but now it’s becoming real.

Trafford has gone 13 games without conceding a goal in the 2024-25 EFL Championship, bringing him closer to breaking records in English football.

Meanwhile, Watt has admitted he is staying in shape if he needs to follow through.

In the latest development, on Tuesday's episode of "The Dan Patrick Show," J.J. Watt confirmed he’s serious.

“If he does that, which is insane — I mean, there’s 12, 13 games left — if he does it, it’s insane enough and respectable enough that I will absolutely follow through,” he said. [15:19] “I’ll go out there. Who knows if they even want me? I don’t even know. I haven’t talked to them. But I’m in shape; I’ll go play,” he said.

Looking back, Watt also narrated how the bet happened.

"It was started as a literal joke," Watt said. [13:36 onwards] "So like obviously, I talk to the guys on our team all the time, and James Trafford, our keeper — he'll be the England number one keeper someday, he's that good. He messaged me one day; we were talking about the Steelers-Bengals because obviously my brother plays on the Steelers. He was messing with me and said, "Hey, do you fancy coming out of retirement and playing for the Bengals?"

The former NFL star continued:

"So, being a smartass, I said, "Yeah, you don’t give up another goal the rest of the season, I’ll come out of retirement and play for the Bengals." There were 28 games left at the time. I was like, "This is just a joke." Next game, he didn’t give up a goal, so I messaged him again and said, "Hey, you’re really taking this serious, huh?" And he was like, "I really want you to play for the Bengals."

That said, the Cincinnati Bengals have yet to comment on the possibility of Watt’s return.

J.J. Watt and his wife, Kealia, became part-owners of Burnley FC in May 2023. They invested in the English soccer club because they love the sport and want to help it grow.

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J.J. Watt admitted he never officially filed retirement paperwork

As the conversation rolled on "The Dan Patrick Show," J.J. Watt admitted he didn’t complete the formal process with the league. When asked if he was still tied to the Houston Texans in any way, he laughed and said,

"[15:41] I don’t even know. I didn’t even think that far ahead."

He jokingly added:

"How do you un-retire? Do I have to file paperwork to get back in?"

J.J. Watt retired after the 2022 season. He spent most of his career with the Houston Texans before finishing with the Arizona Cardinals.