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J.J. Watt Responds to Pleas for Him to Come Out of Retirement for Lions

Lions star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson underwent leg surgery on Sunday.

Madison Williams

Former Houston Texans linebacker J.J. Watt speaks during his Ring of Honor ceremony.
Former Houston Texans linebacker J.J. Watt speaks during his Ring of Honor ceremony. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The Detroit Lions suffered a huge loss on their roster on Sunday as defensive end Aidan Hutchinson fractured his tibia and fibula and underwent surgery in Texas.

The Lions posted an update on Monday stating that Hutchinson's surgery went well and he's expected to make a full recovery. But, his return timeline is unknown at this time.

In the meantime, NFL fans speculated who could replace Hutchinson, who was having arguably his best year yet, on the Lions roster. Many fans begged three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt to come out of retirement to replace Hutchinson.

Watt replied to these pleas on Monday, and it sounds like he would much rather prefer retirement.

"Haha once or twice," Watt replied to a fan asking how many times he'd been asked to come out of retirement. "Lions fans, I see, hear & appreciate you. Love your squad, love Detroit & love Hutch. Gutted for him. This morning I poured a cup of coffee and took a walk by the lake with my wife & son before breakfast. I’m very much enjoying this phase of life."

It doesn't sound like Watt will be joining an NFL roster again.

Watt was one of the first NFL stars to react to Hutchinson's injury during Sunday's blowout 47–9 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The retired Houston Texan understands what it's like to suffer a big injury like Hutchinson as there were four seasons during his career (2016, '17, '19 and '21) in which he missed a big chunk of the season from injuries. His 2017 injury was similar to Hutchinson's—he suffered a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg that required surgery one day after the game.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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