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JJ Watt unexpectedly rocked the NFL on Tuesday after announcing on Twitter that he plans to retire at the end of the 2022 season. For some, the news may have been enough to stop them in their tracks, but in the case of one of Watt’s youngest teammates, the situation warranted an even higher sense of urgency.
A day after his announcement, the Cardinals defensive end shared a story about receiving a FaceTime from an unknown caller shortly after tweeting his decision. Watt told reporters Wednesday that he didn’t answer the call because he didn’t recognize the number, only to have the same caller send a text with a voice memo along with a photo moments later.
After listening to the “incoherent” memo and seeing the picture, Watt quickly realized the message came from Cardinals rookie outside linebacker Jesse Luketa, who just had his wisdom teeth removed prior to the call. Watt’s hilarious description of the audio sparked enough interest in the story for the team to eventually share the voice memo on Thursday, allowing the world to properly share a nice laugh with the future Hall of Famer.
“JJ. JJ. At the end of the season, I need a signed jersey, JJ,” said Luketa, with cotton balls firmly lodged in his mouth. “That’s all I wanted to call and tell you, that’s all. Bye, JJ.”
As one of the most decorated defensive players of all-time, Watt is sure to receive quite the sendoff from players, teams and fans over the last two weeks of the regular season. And, given just how busy he’s likely going to be, it’s hard to blame Luketa for wanting to get his jersey request in early, even if he was still a little loopy from the anesthesia.
Watt will play his final two games on the road in Week 17 against the Falcons on Sunday followed by the 49ers in Week 18. The 33-year-old leaves the NFL with a slew of accolades that include three Defensive Player of the Year awards, seven All-Pro selections and five Pro Bowl nods.
