He’s still No. 99, but J.J. Watt looks a little different in an Arizona practice jersey.
After 10 seasons as the face of the Texans, Watt is now with the Cardinals to help elevate a defense that finished 12th in points allowed and 13th in yards allowed.
Watt was one of Arizona’s many key contributors on the field this week for the voluntary sessions.
“Obviously we had the virtual meetings earlier in the offseason, but now to be in person, back on the field, it’s fun,” Watt said, via Kyle Odegard of the team’s website. “It’s a blast. This is why you play the game. It’s the relationships. It’s the locker room. It’s the guys. I love it. We have a great group here and it seems like everybody knows how to work hard when it’s time to work, and knows how to have fun at the same time.
“I enjoyed it. It’s kind of like that first day of school. Getting back out there yesterday and today on the field was really nice.”
Watt was able to get through the 2020 season healthy, playing all 16 games. The three-time defensive player of the year recorded 5.0 sacks with 14 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits, and a pair of forced fumbles last year.