August 15, 2025 • 5 mins
Missi Matthews catches up with T.J. Watt on his contract, new teammates and being a father
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
TJ.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
How did you spend the off season trying to stay
busy waiting for your.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Deal to come to fruition, changing diapers, honestly, spending as
much time as I could with Danny and Blakely. It
really wasn't that difficult, honestly to put football on the
back for the first half of the off season, just
folcus on my family.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
How were you able to then start the process of
getting ready not knowing what was going to happen, and
then not that you could ignore it seeing all the
crazy moves and different things that were happening. In terms
of adding to this roster.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
I mean, I'm constantly training, so I'm never worried about
how I'm going to perform once I'm here, once I'm
able to play with the team and get back in
the swing of things, So that wasn't an issue. I
think more than anything, it was just not paying attention
to everything everybody was writing about and tweeting about, just
because ninety percent of time it's completely false. Anyways, That's
one of the biggest things I've learned.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Throughout this process.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
But just trusting that the deal was going to get
done and just being overjoyed when a deal did get done.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Is it weird or are you used to looking around
when you guys are out here on the fields and
seeing so many new faces and guys who have done
a lot of stuff in the league.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yeah, I mean every year that goes by, it seems
like we have so much turnover, not like you know,
my first couple years and you have your rookie class
still intact. But we do have big name guys out there.
But more than anything, the big name guys that we
do have, just getting to know them DK, Jalen, Darius Slay, Aaron.
They all want to win and the football is important
to them, and it's more about the process.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
And just playing in games. And it's been really fun getting.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
To know them.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
DK had said that he thinks you are the best
defense he's ever seen. Is that pressure? Is that a compliment?
Is that DK trying to get on your good side
for your unit because I know Cam said you guys rib.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Them a little bit. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
I mean there's been good bands out training camp so far,
and it's still early.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
We have all the pieces to make a great defense.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Is there anything off the field that tells you that
you have that feeling as well? Not just what you
guys are able to do on the field together.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
We've been hanging out a lot.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Whether it's game night in Cam's room, there's always at
least eight to ten people in there.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
We were just playing NHL two v two. Me and
Herb just.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Kicked the crap out of Cam and Alex before we
came over here and Homer and Derby's always fun.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
It's been a good bonding experience.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Some of the younger guys on defense. Is anybody really
standing out you're pleasantly surprised with?
Speaker 3 (02:36):
I mean, Peyton looks incredible second year round, It's fast.
They always talk about that jump from year one year two,
very physical, becoming more vocal in our room. I think
the harm looks really good for a young rookie. I
think Sawyer looks good too. Just guys that are football
guys and they're asking the right questions. They want to succeed,
they want to know how they can continue to improve
and get better. So it's been refreshing.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I know Arthur Smith has admitted that he likes to
go after you guys have practiced. He talks a lot,
so does he trash talk you guys more? Does Aaron
Rogers trash talk.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
The defense more. Aaron trash talks more, I'd say, but
Art trash talks too.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
But if you start to beat.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Him a couple of times, he kind of goes away
a little quicker than Aaron does.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
But it's been good banter.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
How is that helping you with Aaron on that side
of the ball In terms of what this defense.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Is doing to get better, it's huge, from snap count things,
to pre stamp communications to holding your disguises so the
no look passes. It's a challenge eachon every day, and
I think it's the ultimate iron sharpend's iron concept.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
How does Jack Sawyer fit into the group that you
guys have at outside linebacker?
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah, Sawyer that we call him five star.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
He's a five star recruit, the golden child out of Ohio.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
He's been great, He really has been.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
He's a big guy, isn't afraid to go go in
and hit people, but also has some good finesse moves,
some pastors moves, and he's been a good rookie so far.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
But it's it's still too early to say.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Have you told Aaron Rodgers that you were also a
really good quarterback in the state of Wisconsin?
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I haven't yet. We'll have that conversation at some point.
I'd like to hear if he thinks I could do
it at the high school level.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Right now, I'm going to stay Yeah. Yeah, it's disrespect
to Wisconsin football.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
But yeah when Jack Sawyer, who also had to play
quarterback in high school.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
After the conversation, I need to see some clips. I
need to see some clips before five Stars. Yeah, I
need to see some clops to five Star.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
And lastly, for you, what has changed becoming a dad
in terms of being a football player.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
I think it's just the ultimate perspective change.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I think for a long time I thought I was
literally meant to play football and go about my life.
And now it's like it's much more than that. It's
almost seems silly that I even thought that, But it's
allowed me to separate.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Football and when I'm home a lot better.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
And may it'll be more present when I'm here, and
may it'll be more present when I'm home.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
And more than anything, it gives me.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
More motivation to want to show my daughter how when
you put your mind to something, you.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Can accomplish anything. Perfect. Thanks to you, Ja, Thank you
TJ.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
How did you spend the off season trying to stay
busy waiting for your.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Deal to come to fruition, changing diapers, honestly, spending as
much time as I could with Danny and Blakely. It
really wasn't that difficult, honestly to put football on the
back for the first half of the off season, just
folcus on my family.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
How were you able to then start the process of
getting ready not knowing what was going to happen, and
then not that you could ignore it seeing all the
crazy moves and different things that were happening. In terms
of adding to this roster.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
I mean, I'm constantly training, so I'm never worried about
how I'm going to perform once I'm here, once I'm
able to play with the team and get back in
the swing of things, So that wasn't an issue. I
think more than anything, it was just not paying attention
to everything everybody was writing about and tweeting about, just
because ninety percent of time it's completely false. Anyways, That's
one of the biggest things I've learned.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Throughout this process.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
But just trusting that the deal was going to get
done and just being overjoyed when a deal did get done.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Is it weird or are you used to looking around
when you guys are out here on the fields and
seeing so many new faces and guys who have done
a lot of stuff in the league.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yeah, I mean every year that goes by, it seems
like we have so much turnover, not like you know,
my first couple years and you have your rookie class
still intact. But we do have big name guys out there.
But more than anything, the big name guys that we
do have, just getting to know them DK, Jalen, Darius Slay, Aaron.
They all want to win and the football is important
to them, and it's more about the process.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
And just playing in games. And it's been really fun getting.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
To know them.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
DK had said that he thinks you are the best
defense he's ever seen. Is that pressure? Is that a compliment?
Is that DK trying to get on your good side
for your unit because I know Cam said you guys rib.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Them a little bit. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
I mean there's been good bands out training camp so far,
and it's still early.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
We have all the pieces to make a great defense.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Is there anything off the field that tells you that
you have that feeling as well? Not just what you
guys are able to do on the field together.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
We've been hanging out a lot.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Whether it's game night in Cam's room, there's always at
least eight to ten people in there.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
We were just playing NHL two v two. Me and
Herb just.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Kicked the crap out of Cam and Alex before we
came over here and Homer and Derby's always fun.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
It's been a good bonding experience.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Some of the younger guys on defense. Is anybody really
standing out you're pleasantly surprised with?
Speaker 3 (02:36):
I mean, Peyton looks incredible second year round, It's fast.
They always talk about that jump from year one year two,
very physical, becoming more vocal in our room. I think
the harm looks really good for a young rookie. I
think Sawyer looks good too. Just guys that are football
guys and they're asking the right questions. They want to succeed,
they want to know how they can continue to improve
and get better. So it's been refreshing.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I know Arthur Smith has admitted that he likes to
go after you guys have practiced. He talks a lot,
so does he trash talk you guys more? Does Aaron
Rogers trash talk.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
The defense more. Aaron trash talks more, I'd say, but
Art trash talks too.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
But if you start to beat.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Him a couple of times, he kind of goes away
a little quicker than Aaron does.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
But it's been good banter.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
How is that helping you with Aaron on that side
of the ball In terms of what this defense.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Is doing to get better, it's huge, from snap count things,
to pre stamp communications to holding your disguises so the
no look passes. It's a challenge eachon every day, and
I think it's the ultimate iron sharpend's iron concept.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
How does Jack Sawyer fit into the group that you
guys have at outside linebacker?
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah, Sawyer that we call him five star.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
He's a five star recruit, the golden child out of Ohio.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
He's been great, He really has been.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
He's a big guy, isn't afraid to go go in
and hit people, but also has some good finesse moves,
some pastors moves, and he's been a good rookie so far.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
But it's it's still too early to say.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Have you told Aaron Rodgers that you were also a
really good quarterback in the state of Wisconsin?
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I haven't yet. We'll have that conversation at some point.
I'd like to hear if he thinks I could do
it at the high school level.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Right now, I'm going to stay Yeah. Yeah, it's disrespect
to Wisconsin football.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
But yeah when Jack Sawyer, who also had to play
quarterback in high school.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
After the conversation, I need to see some clips. I
need to see some clips before five Stars. Yeah, I
need to see some clops to five Star.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
And lastly, for you, what has changed becoming a dad
in terms of being a football player.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
I think it's just the ultimate perspective change.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I think for a long time I thought I was
literally meant to play football and go about my life.
And now it's like it's much more than that. It's
almost seems silly that I even thought that, But it's
allowed me to separate.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Football and when I'm home a lot better.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
And may it'll be more present when I'm here, and
may it'll be more present when I'm home.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
And more than anything, it gives me.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
More motivation to want to show my daughter how when
you put your mind to something, you.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Can accomplish anything. Perfect. Thanks to you, Ja, Thank you
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