TEMPE, Arizona – While the teams continued to court JJ Watt during his 16-day stint as a free agent, the three-time All-Pro pass-rusher said all signs pointed him to the Arizona Cardinals, with whom he signed a two-way deal. years on Tuesday.
He chose the Cardinals on Monday from a group of “four or five” finalists after an aggressive recruitment by Arizona. Watt said he “was certainly close” when it came to making his final decision, which he described as “difficult”.
“I give them credit; they attacked from all angles,” Watt said of recruiting the cardinals during his introductory press conference on Zoom on Tuesday. “There was, I think, [general manager] Steve [Keim] and [owner] Michael [Bidwill] and everyone did a great job of, I mean, there were players, there were coaches, there were people who were not from football and were in my ear trying to convince me to come here and tell me all the good things about it, and not just in field, but sending me pictures of Paradise Valley and everything that’s off the field too.
“So your recruiting camp was strong and heavy, but at the end of the day, I said to my wife, you know that all the signs just pointed here, in Arizona, and in my short time here on the ground, I can say that I am absolutely satisfied and couldn’t be happier with my decision. “
Watt, who turns 32 on March 22, said “there are a lot of interesting things about what’s going on here in Arizona”, and specifically mentioned the “extremely talented young defenders of the Cardinals who can do great things”.
Kyler Murray was one of the reasons that Watt cited for signing with the Cardinals. Watt texted Murray on Monday: “I’m here because I believe you.”
– Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) March 2, 2021
Murray tweeted a photo of when the two met in July 2015 at an event where Murray was named Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year.
“It is very wild now to be on the same team,” said Watt. “But, yes, I obviously saw his career. He had an incredible career. He is an incredible athlete, and what he has achieved is that he has been a winner at all stages of his life, and this is not a coincidence.
“You are a winner for the way you work, for the aura you give off and for the talent you have, and I think he has all these things and will continue to win and continue to succeed.”
Watt also said that the meeting with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, his teammate with the Houston Texans from the time Hopkins was drafted in 2013 until his negotiation after the 2019 season, played a role in the Cardinals’ win in the Watt draw. . Like Vance Joseph, the Cardinals ‘defensive coordinator who was the Texans’ defensive back coach during Watt’s first three years in the NFL.
Watt said that Joseph runs a defensive scheme similar to what Watt played under Wade Phillips in Houston – “which is a scheme that I am very familiar with and very comfortable and excited to play”.
The cardinals announced on Tuesday that Watt will use No. 99, the same number he used with Texans. The number was taken in honor of Marshall Goldberg, who played for the Chicago Cardinals from 1939 to 1943 and again from 1946 to 1948 after his career was interrupted by a stint in the Navy during World War II, but Goldberg’s daughter Ellen Goldberg Tullos, gave Watt permission on Tuesday to use the number.
Watt did not know that the number was retired when he chose the cardinals and saw that no one had issued it during a quick summary of the list. One of his high school friends broke the news to him and told him about Goldberg’s story, which led Watt to start looking at other numbers. But when Watt woke up Tuesday morning, he read a report from TMZ, which he had talked to Tullos. Later, Watt called Tullos to find out for himself that he could use her father’s number.
Watt hoped that a product of his using the Goldberg number would be that his name, history and legacy would become better known. Watt also offered to donate to the Marshall Goldberg Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury Research.
Watt thanked the Goldberg family via Twitter and also talked about what the family blessing meant at his press conference.
I want to thank the Goldberg family for their kindness in offering me the opportunity to use # 99 in Arizona, which was previously retired in honor of Marshall Goldberg.
I feel humble and honored to use it and will do my best to make you proud and honor Marshall properly.#Red Sea pic.twitter.com/zoXCHZfTP4
– JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 2, 2021
“We had a great conversation,” said Watt. “She was super cute. She said that she believes her father would be a tribute and she believes that her father, he was all about the players, so she said that she thought he would want me to use it.
“So I am very honored and thrilled that they thought of me that way and that I could do that, so I told her that I would do everything in my power to honor him and make him proud and make his legacy proud.”