Texans to Induct J.J. Watt into Ring of Honor During Steelers Game

The Houston Texans will induct J.J. Watt into the team’s Ring of Honor this fall when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit.

Watt retired from professional football after the 2022 season, having spent 10 of his 12 NFL seasons in Houston. He played the last two years with the Arizona Cardinals. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time All-Pro will be immediately honored by the team that drafted him in 2011.

“H-Town, I’m coming home,” Watt said in a video posted to social media announcing the honor.

He’ll be doing it in front of his brother, as T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be visiting the Texans for their Week 4 matchup. The game will kick off at 1 p.m. from Houston’s Reliant Stadium. (Full Steelers 2023 schedule.)

T.J. Watt has won both matchups between the Steelers and Texans in his career, a 34-6 win in Houston in 2017 and a 28-21 victory in Pittsburgh in 2020 that saw all three brothers — J.J., Derek and T.J. — play in the same game.

J.J. Watt has said that he’ll be pulling for T.J. and the Steelers, now that he’s retired, and even talked with Mike Tomlin about taking a visit to the Steelers facility.

“I’m a huge Steelers fan,” he said. “I’m all in on the Steelers.”

But Watt said firmly that he has not plans on coming out of retirement, which prompted the honor from his first NFL club.

“We are so excited to have J.J. Watt join the Ring of Honor as our third member,” the McNair Family, the owners of the Texans, said in a press release.

“Everybody knows how much J.J. means to our family, the Texans organization and the entire City of Houston. He is one of the most dominant players in NFL history and he created a unique and irreplaceable bond with our fans. J.J. has always kept a special place in Houston’s heart and we’re thrilled to welcome him back. On the behalf of the entire organization, we can’t wait to give J.J. and his family the celebration he deserves on October 1st.”

Watt will join wide receiver Andrew Johnson and owner and founder Bob McNair in the young franchise’s Ring of Honor. The Texans started NFL play in 2002 as an expansion team.