JJ Watt (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Former NFL star defensive end JJ Watt has social media in stitches after trolling SportsCenter’s X/Twitter account through direct messages.

JJ Watt posted a screenshot of a direct message conversation he had with SportsCenter, who reached out first by asking him if he could recall a time when he “wanted to give up”, and what got him to keep going.

Watt responded humorously, “Is everything OK, SportsCenter? I’m here to help if need be.”

JJ Watt’s hilarious response led to plenty of priceless reactions from fans:

We don’t know who from SportsCenter sent Watt that direct message over X. But it’s safe to say that morale isn’t exactly high at the Worldwide Leader in Sports, with more layoffs reportedly on the way.

Popular analyst Robert Griffin III and longtime reporter Sam Ponder were fired in surprising budget-cutting moves. On top of that, Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported last week that “at least five management positions” will be cut.

The 35-year-old Watt played in the NFL from 2011 to 2022, earning five Pro Bowl nods and three Defensive Player of the Year awards (2012, 2014 and 2015). He finished with 114.5 sacks, 70 pass defenses and 27 forced fumbles over his 12 NFL seasons.

Watt played for the Houston Texans from 2011 to 2020 before joining the Arizona Cardinals for his final two seasons. His efforts helped Houston to AFC South division titles in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, and he guided Arizona to a rare playoff appearance during the 2021 campaign as a wild card team.

JJ Watt Begins Second Season With CBS

JJ Watt is entering his second season as an analyst for “The NFL Today” on CBS. The popular show underwent a big change this year, bringing in former NFL MVP and quarterback Matt Ryan after bidding farewell to Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason.

Simms and Esiason left CBS after their contracts were not renewed. Watt and Ryan will be on the program with longtime host James Brown, Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher, former NFL wide receiver Nate Burleson and lead CBS NFL insider Jonathan Jones.