JJ Watt joked that he wasn't aware he had paperwork to fill out to retire from the NFL after Tom Brady filed a letter Friday.
45-year-old Brady officially confirmed his February 1 retirement from professional football to the NFL and NFLPA by filing a letter with the two organizations on Friday.
Watt, a former Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals defensive end, 33, announced on December 27 that he was stepping away from the game, three months after he went into atrial fibrillation, requiring his heart to be shocked back into rhythm.
He tearfully bid farewell to the sport as the Cardinals lost the 49ers 38-13.
However, following Brady's letter, Watt joked he wasn't going to fill out the paperwork but insisted he was 'definitely retired'.
Quote tweeting a post reporting on Brady's confirmation, Watt wrote: 'I was unaware there was paperwork… Definitely not gonna fill that out, but definitely retired'
Whether Watt and Brady do or don't file their 'paperwork', both will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2028.
Both new retirees will surely be first-ballot Hall of Famers after impressive careers.
Brady, considered by many the Greatest of All Time by many, won seven Super Bowls - six in New England.
Just some of Brady's records include the most passing touchdowns, passing completions, passing yards, and wins for a quarterback.
He's been named MVP of the league three times and the MVP of the Super Bowl five times - the most of any player.
Meanwhile, a five-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro, Watt is the only NFL player ever to record multiple 20-sack seasons, both of which came during his decade with the Houston Texans. He's played the last two seasons with the Cardinals.
Watt also had an amusing reaction to Brady's second retirement announcement as he invited the veteran to hit the golf course.
'Greatest of All Time,' Watt tweeted last week. 'No question, no debate. It's been an honor and a privilege. PS - The newly retired group meets on the golf course every morning at 10am. Drinks are on the new guy, so bring your wallet.'
And it appears Watt would rather spend his retirement on the golf course than back in the league.
The defensive end's former teammate DeMeco Ryans was hired as the Texans' head coach last month and it wasn't hard to see Watt slipping into a role on his staff.
But the three-time Defensive Player of the Year - at least currently - is not enamored by the idea of coaching.
'[If Ryans asks], I'll pop in and talk to the boys, and I'll watch practice, and I'll talk to them, but no, I have no interest in the hours and the time commitment and going to the Combine and going to the Senior Bowl and doing all these things,' he said on the Pardon My Take podcast.
Brady is also expected to stay away from the NFL for at least a year. He has a broadcaster job with Fox lined up and waiting for him on a reported 10-year, $375 million deal.
But he recently revealed that he will wait to transition into the booth until the fall of 2024. In other words: NFL fans will go an entire season without Brady in 2023 for the first time this millennium.
