JJ Watt bids a tearful farewell to football in his final game for the Arizona Cardinals

JJ Watt gave a tearful farewell to football as the Arizona Cardinals defensive end received a standing ovation from fans in Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.

The 33-year-old announced on December 27 that he was retiring from the game, three months after suffering from atrial fibrillation and having to have his heart shocked back into rhythm.

He left the field in the final moments of Sunday’s Cardinals-49ers game, with his Arizona team losing 38-18.

And the magnitude of leaving the game didn’t escape Watt or his wife Kealia, who was also in tears as the defensive end received a huge ovation at Levi’s Stadium.

JJ Watt of the Arizona Cardinals gave a tearful goodbye to football in his final game on Sunday

Watt, 33, is stepping down after being diagnosed with a heart problem last October

Watt wrote on Twitter on Sunday evening: “Sometime in the coming days I will find the right words.

“But right now all I can say is thank you. You changed my life forever and I am eternally grateful to you.”

Watt retires as one of the better defensive ends in the NFL. A five-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro, Watt is the only NFL player to ever record multiple 20-sack seasons, both of which occurred during his decade with the Houston Texans. He has played the last two seasons with the Cardinals.

Watt was also named a recipient of the 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for his well-known philanthropic efforts.

Watt’s charity, the Justin J. Watt Foundation, offers after-school activities in several communities and gives children a safe place to engage in athletics. Most of the program’s schools are in Texas, where he played for a decade, in his native Wisconsin, and in Alabama, Illinois and California.

He helped raise $37 million for Hurricane Harvey victims in the Houston area and offered to pay funeral expenses for victims’ families following mass shootings.

On the Friday before his final game, Watt said: “I think part of that was also wanting to say thank you to everyone who helped me and everyone here. If you wait until mid-off-season to do that, I can’t properly circle this building because nobody knows.

Watt shares a moment with assistant head coach Jeff Rodgers in emotional scenes on Sunday

Watt is greeted by his Cardinals teammate, linebacker Dennis Gardeck, as he bids farewell

“I don’t want it to be a big secret. I want to be able to shake hands with all these people and say thank you when I leave this building.

“I want to be able to say thank you to everyone at my last game and just show that appreciation. That was a nice part, I can really thank everyone.

Watt revealed a heart problem in October and said he went into atrial fibrillation on September 29 and needs to get his heart back into rhythm. He also revealed that he made the disclosure because the information was about to be leaked.