JJ Watt showed off his incredible physique and fans were wondering if he was planning to come out of retirement.
Watt, 35, shared a photo of himself after working out on Monday, showing off his muscular body, captioning it “progress.”
When the former defensive end indicated he was still in NFL shape, users responded by promoting the story of his return to the league.
NFL Network’s Brendan Walker wrote: ‘@HoustonTexans you know what to do.’
Meanwhile, a Texans fan account received more than 100 likes by commenting, “So when are you coming back? Week 11?”
JJ Watt showed off his incredible physique as fans wonder if he’s planning to come out of retirement
The 35-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in football history
Watt, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time Pro Bowler, ended his career after 12 seasons in 2022, at age 33.
He played his career from 2011 to 2020 with the Texans and from 2021 to 2022 with the Arizona Cardinals.
Watt is considered one of the best defensive linemen the league has ever seen, with 114.5 career sacks, which ranks 34th in NFL history. He is also one of four players to have three or more seasons with at least 17.5 sacks in pro football.
During his final season in Arizona, Watt started all 16 games and finished with 12.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and seven pass deflections.
Watt retired in 2022 after 12 seasons in the NFL, split between the Texans and Cardinals
After retiring, the five-time Pro Bowler pursued a career in business and media
Watt seemed to entertain the idea of returning to the league and playing for the Texans
After retiring, the likely Hall-of-Famer joined CBS Sports’ The NFL Today, but he appeared to embrace the idea of an NFL return with Houston in the near future.
“I’m very thankful that I left healthy and played great,” Watt said on May 4. “I told DeMeco [Ryans] Last year: I said, ‘Don’t call unless you really need to. But if you ever call, I’ll be there.’ This is the last year I’m going to tell him that because I’m not going to keep training like I have been training.’
However, Watt also admitted that he does not expect to return this season, as the strength of the Texans’ defense does not require his services. Houston’s defensive line consists of Danielle Hunter, Will Anderson Jr. and Jerry Hughes.
In addition to his former team, Watt has also been linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played alongside his younger brother TJ.