J.J. Watt Picks Cardinals to Win NFC West

The Arizona Cardinals had a former legend pick them to win the division.
Jan 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt (99) during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Jan 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt (99) during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
In this story:

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are in the midst of a tight NFC West race coming down the stretch of the season.

After starting 6-4, the Cardinals have lost their last two matchups and now are currently second in the division - though a win on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks will see them regain the lead.

With the NFC West truly up for grabs across the board, it's anybody's guess as to who will take the crown - though J.J. Watt is pulling for his former team.

“The division has been a crazy division all year,” Watt told SportsCasting's DJ Siddiqi.

“Obviously coming into the season, there’s no question the 49ers were everybody’s preseason favorite, but it just hasn’t gone that way over there. At the moment, it’s a week-to-week league and the Seahawks right now have that advantage. But the Cardinals have another shot at them, so they can try and right that ship.

“I don’t think you can say they’re [Seattle] the favorite at the moment, just because of how crazy the division has been. You have to say it’s the Seahawks, but it’s going to be a great battle. They’ve been playing really well. Kyler is playing some of the best ball in his career and they’ve been a lot of fun to watch.

“I am still a Cardinal at heart — I’ll go with the Cardinals."

A win on Sunday would be massive for Arizona, as their playoff chances could sway drastically pending results - you could read more about that here.

Watt - who is sure to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame upon first opportunity - played the final two years of his career in Arizona, collecting 12.5 sacks in 2022 before calling it quits.

Watt is often in Arizona and though he certainly calls himself a Texan, there's nothing short of love for the Cardinals in his brain and heart.


Published
Donnie Druin
DONNIE DRUIN

Donnie Druin is the Publisher for All Cardinals and Inside The Suns. Donnie moved to Arizona in 2012 and has been with Fan Nation since 2018. In college he won "Best Sports Column" in the state of Arizona for his section and has previously provided coverage for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona State Sun Devils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin for more news, updates, analysis and more!