Cardinals' J.J. Watt recalls time when Aaron Rodgers got the better of him

J.J. Watt and Aaron Rodgers have not faced each other often because, for most of Watt’s career, he was in the AFC, while Rodgers played in the NFC. When J.J. Watt signed with the Arizona Cardinals this season, their chances of meeting increased since both the Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers are in the NFC. For their Week 8 matchup, however, Watt was out with an injury, and Aaron Rodgers and the Packers handed the Cardinals their first loss of the season.

During NFL Throwback, T.J. and J.J. Watt took turns poking fun at each other’s performance on film. NFL Throwback is a series produced by the NFL that highlights the most exciting and historic moments in NFL history. The older Watt brother, J.J., took his lumps in recalling the time Aaron Rodgers responded to one of his playful taunts by dominating the rest of the game.

Cardinals' J.J. Watt remembers the game when Aaron Rodgers got the last laugh

In the clip added on November 3, 2021, T.J. Watt asked J.J. Watt, at what point during the week, leading up to the Houston Texans-Green Bay Packers game, did J.J. Watt come up with a sack celebration mocking Aaron Rodgers’ “discount double check” or wrestling championship belt move. J.J. Watt recounted that, during the height of Rodgers’ use of the State Farm slogan on and off the field (in the commercials), Watt decided to combine Rodgers’ move and add his salute (the move Watt makes after a sack).

When J.J. Watt did manage to take down Aaron Rodgers for a sack, he performed the move as planned and as shown in the YouTube clip. Regrettably, the older Watt brother noted, Aaron Rodgers proceeded to throw six touchdown passes, allowing the Packers to dominate the Texans.

The game in question was the Week 6 matchup on October 14, 2012. The 2-3 Packers handed the 5-0 Texans their first loss of the year behind Rodgers’ six touchdown passes, as recalled accurately by Watt.

That year, J.J. Watt and the Texans made it as far as the AFC divisional playoff game where they lost to the New England Patriots. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers also made it to the NFC divisional playoff game where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers eventually went on to the Super Bowl where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens — back when Joe Flacco and Colin Kaepernick were starting quarterbacks.

J.J. Watt will have to wait a bit longer before he can face off against Aaron Rodgers again because he could not play in their Week 8 matchup this season. Both players should be healthy and “immunized” by then.

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