J.J. Watt was taken aback by a request from James Trafford on Dec. 28, deeming it unrealistic. The Burnley goalkeeper, reaching out to the former NFL pass rusher who is also a minority owner in the club, had a simple ask: Would you come out of retirement to play for my beloved Cincinnati Bengals?
Watt, 35, hung up his boots in 2023 after an illustrious 12-year NFL career with the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals, clinching the NFL Defensive Player of the Year title thrice. With no intentions of returning to the field, Watt jokingly told Trafford he would consider it only if the goalkeeper managed to keep a clean sheet for the rest of the season.
The following day, Trafford thwarted three shots during a goalless draw against Middlesbrough. The streak of clean sheets continued, with a nail-biting moment during a penalty shoot-out against Sunderland in January when Trafford blocked two penalties.
Not only did Trafford’s stellar performance save Burnley from dropping points, but it also kept Watt’s whimsical promise alive. Watt acknowledged this on social media by sharing Trafford’s initial request from December.
After Burnley’s resounding 4-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday last Friday, Trafford has now secured 12 consecutive league clean sheets — 11 of which occurred post his conversation with Watt, who spent time last week looking at properties in Cincinnati.
The last time Trafford conceded a goal was on Dec. 21 during a 2-1 win over Watford.
“I’ll do it,” Watt told Dan Patrick this week. “If he achieves it, it’s so outlandish that I’ll definitely follow through. I’ll hit the field. Who knows if [the Bengals] will even consider me. I’m clueless, I haven’t reached out to them. But I’m fit and ready to play.”
Watt also mentioned that he never filed retirement paperwork with the NFL, leaving him uncertain about the process of coming out of retirement if Trafford continues his shutout streak. (In May, Watt did inform Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans to reach out if they needed assistance.)
Manchester United holds the record for the longest run of consecutive clean sheets in English football, managing to keep 14 clean sheets in a row during the 2008-09 season. Burnley still has 13 games remaining in their schedule, including an FA Cup fixture against Preston North End on Saturday.
“Hopefully it materializes, but the odds are slim,” Trafford told Sky Sports last week.
An NFL comeback might not be the only cause for celebration for Watt by the end of the EFL Championship season in May. Burnley currently sits in third place, trailing Sheffield United by two points for an automatic promotion slot to the Premier League. With 12 league games left, playoffs are a possibility if they finish between third and sixth place.