Texans inducting J.J. Watt into Ring of Honor

No. 99 is coming home.

The Houston Texans teased a big announcement Monday and are happy to reveal that recently-retired defensive end J.J. Watt will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.

Texans owner Cal McNair and his wife Hannah created a video message inviting him into the franchise’s Ring of Honor.

Watt was drafted by the Texans with the 11th overall pick in 2011 and became the face of the team during some of the best years in the franchise.

In 2012, a year where the Texans started 11-1, Watt recorded 20.5 sacks and won his first of three Defensive Player of the Year awards.

In 2014, Watt played his best NFL season, matching his career-best 20.5 sacks but also scoring five touchdowns in the process, some on defense and others on offense. No defensive player has come near that total since. His results awarded him with a second Defensive Player of the Year trophy. Watt also finished second in the MVP voting that year to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Watt won his third and final DPoY award the following year in 2015, where he posted another 17.5 sacks, which led the league.

After he was forced to miss 24 games in 2016-17 combined due to injury, Watt rebounded in 2018 with a 16-sack season, his final double-digit sack total as a member of the Texans.

In 2020, Watt played his final year with the Texans, healthy and never missing a game. Then, he went on to play two seasons with the Cardinals.

However, Watt’s defining moment in his career has nothing to do with any of his Hall-of-Fame-level accomplishments. In 2017, when the city of Houston was hit hard by the effects of Hurricane Harvey, Watt’s philanthropy helped revive the city and bring it back on its feet. His organization, the J.J. Watt Foundation, raised over $37 million for those in need, which led him to receive the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

Watt’s Ring of Honor ceremony will take place in the team’s Week 4 game at home on Oct. 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who currently roster Watt’s brother T.J.