J.J. Watt sure looks like he could still be one of the most feared defenders in the NFL.
On Monday, the five-time All-Pro shared a workout photo in which Watt appeared as chiseled as ever.
Watt gave the picture a subtle caption: “progress.”
Still only 35, Watt’s name has surfaced often in rumors about potentially coming out of retirement, and this latest photo did little to quell that interest.
“@HoustonTexans you know what to do” NFL Network’s Brendan Walker wrote.
“So when you coming back? Week 11?” replied a Texans fan account, generating over 100 likes.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year called it a career after the 2022 season, finishing his 12-year pro tenure as one of the best players of his generation.
Watt’s 114.5 career sacks rank 34th in NFL history, and he’s one of four players in pro football history to post three or more seasons with at least 17.5 sacks.
The former Texan and Cardinal retired at just 33 — and still near the peak of his game.
In his final season, Watt finished with 12.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and seven pass deflections while starting all 16 games for Arizona.
The likely first-ballot Hall-of-Famer swapped the eye black for makeup in 2023, joining the media ranks with CBS Sports’ “The NFL Today.”
However, Watt seemed to suggest he could potentially strap up the pads one final time in 2024 — and re-join the Texans, if need be.
“I’m very thankful to have walked away healthy, playing great,” Watt said on May 4. “I told DeMeco [Ryans] last year: I said, ‘Don’t call unless you absolutely need it. But if you ever do call, I’ll be there.’ This is the last year I’ll tell him that, because I’m not going to keep training the way I’ve been training.”
At the same time, Watt said he “didn’t anticipate” returning to play this season, citing the strength of the Texans’ defensive line — which boasts formidable talent in Danielle Hunter, Will Anderson Jr. and Jerry Hughes as edge rushers.
Outside of Houston, Watt has regularly been linked — maybe as nothing more than fans’ pipe dream — to join his younger brother, T.J., with the Steelers, but that scenario has ever come to fruition.
Yet if Watt keeps working out with this level of intensity, it might only be time before a team calls the five-time Pro Bowler seeking a revitalized defensive weapon.