J.J. Watt's retirement decision a lesson to learn for Tom Brady

When we talk about the greatest players ever to play in the NFL, Tom Brady's name will be right at the top. J.J. Watt, however, will not be too far behind.

For reasons that we don't need to go into again, Tom Brady is the GOAT, at least, in terms of championship successes, individual records and longevity. In a league that elevates offense over defense, though, it is hard not to feel as if J.J. Watt might be Tom Brady's equal on defense.

J.J. Watt played the majority of his career with the Houston Texans and not Bill Belichick's New England Patriots dynasty. He won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, the highest award given to defenders, tying with Aaron Donald and Lawrence Taylor. It is the equivalent of winning the MVP award on defense three times. This is the same number of MVP awards Tom Brady has won in his career.

Watt has achieved all of this by the age of 33, whereas Brady is currently 45. While the defensive superstar has now confirmed that he will retire come the end of the season, the quarterback is still going strong. In fact, Brady unretired after retiring last season to return to the NFL.

Many people will take this as laudable by Tom Brady that he can still play at such a high level. It look like he will be making the playoffs again this year. However, one could also look at it from a different perspective.

J.J. Watt can teach Tom Brady the art of stepping away

J.J. Watt is stepping away after coming back into form this season. He has 9.5 sacks this season and could reach double digits in the upcoming games. Since 2016, he has seen four of his seven seasons severely curtailed by injuries. He looked to be returning to his best form this season and could have used it as a springboard for future sporting success.

However, J.J. Watt decided to put his family first and go out at the top. In his retirement message, he pointed out that this was his son's first NFL game and that it was time for him to step away. He put his family front and center and chose to bow out at a high level rather than when people started questioning his playing ability.

This is the exact opposite of Tom Brady and how he has fared in the NFL this season. He decided to retire last season at the peak of his powers. He passed for over 5,000 yards and had 43 touchdowns last season. He led the league in touchdowns, completions and passing yards. He could have chosen to leave at that time.

Instead, by choosing to unretire and come back for more, he has seen his performance drop on the field and his life fall apart off it. He has a losing record of 7-8 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season and only has 21 touchdowns. His passer rating is the worst in a decade at 87.9, and he has labored on the field.

That he can still make the playoffs is because of the woeful NFC South division the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in, where the teams surrounding them are somehow even worse.

Off the field, he divorced Gisele Bundchen, his wife of more than a decade. One of the main reasons for dissolution of the marriage was allegedly Brady's desire to put football above his family. Meanwhile, Bundchen was always willing to sacrifice her career to take care of her husband and their children. There is a chance that the divorce may not have happened had he not chosen to unretire.

The defensive legend may yet make the same mistake as Brady. But right now, in his retirement choice, J.J. Watt has shown an understanding of human nature more than football, something that may serve as a belated lesson for the quarterback.