Watt walked off the field at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday to a standing ovation, one that brought him to tears as he hugged Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury near the end of his final NFL game.
Watt’s wife, Kealia, was in tears from her seat in the stadium. Niners tight end George Kittle was jumping up and down on the sideline, celebrating Watt at one point, too.
The tribute in Santa Clara, California, wasn’t all Watt received Sunday. His two brothers, who both play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, arrived at Acrisure Stadium for their game against the Cleveland Browns in J.J. Watt jerseys.
Plenty were there to thank Watt on the field after the game.
The 49ers had little issue getting past the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. They rolled to a 38-13 win behind three touchdowns from quarterback Brock Purdy and two more on the ground from Elijah Mitchell to take their 10th straight win. The Cardinals, on the other hand, finished the season 4-13.
While his final season wasn’t great on the field from a team standpoint, Watt certainly got the farewell he deserved.
49ers fans gave J.J. Watt a standing ovation as he walked off the field for the final time on Sunday afternoon. (AP/Godofredo A. Vásquez)