Whenever it gets to the point in the season where a team is officially out of the playoff hunt, a couple of questions arise. Those questions are, should the team lose on purpose to get a higher draft pick, and do the players still give 100% even when the games really do not matter?
On Sunday, following the Houston Texans‘ loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Texans DE J.J. Watt was asked by the media how he and his team would bounce back next week.
Watt’s response was perfect.
“We’re professional athletes getting paid a whole lot of money,” Watt said. “If you can’t come in and put work in in the building, go out to the practice field and work hard, do your lifts and do what you’re supposed to do, you should not be here. This is a job. We are getting paid a whole lot of money.
“There are a lot of people that watch us and invest their time and their money into buying our jerseys and buying a whole bunch of s—, and they care about it. They care every single week. We’re in Week 16 and we’re 4-11, and there’s fans that watch this game, that show up to the stadium that put in time and energy and effort and care about this. So if you can’t go out there and you can’t work out, you can’t show up on time, you can’t practice, you can’t want to go out there and win, you shouldn’t be here. Because this is a privilege. It’s the greatest job in the world. You get to go out and play a game. And if you can’t care enough, even in Week 17, even when you’re trash, when you’re 4-11. If you can’t care enough to go out there and give everything you’ve got and try your hardest, that’s bullshit.
“There are people every week that still tweet you, that still come up to you and say, ‘Hey, we’re still rooting for you; we’re still behind you.’ They have no reason whatsoever to. We stink. But they care and they still want to win and they still want you to be great. That’s why. Those people aren’t getting paid. We’re getting paid handsomely. That’s why. And that’s … that’s who I feel the most bad for, is our fans and the people who care so deeply and the city and the people who love it and who truly want it to be great. And it’s not. And that sucks as a player to know that we’re not giving them what they deserve.”
Following Watt’s comments, Matthew Stafford’s wife Kelly took to Instagram to agree with Watt.
“Finally someone said it,” Kelly posted. “If you don’t wanna do it…don’t worry, someone else will replace you real quick.”
Kelly Stafford, the wife of Lions QB Matthew Stafford, on Instagram about the JJ Watt postgame presser. pic.twitter.com/k4R79dT7aq
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) December 28, 2020
I really hope that a lot of fans thinking the Lions players will purposely tank for a higher draft pick listen to what Watt had to say today. These are professional athletes and the vast majority of them give 100% and try to win, no matter what may be at stake when it comes to the NFL Draft.
Just ask the players on the New York Jets.
