JJ Watt’s move from NFL star to CBS announcer had many wondering if he could handle the broadcast booth. He had already acclimated himself to the CBS landscape, but his move to the booth alongside Ian Eagle was a major move back into the spotlight. Early on, even the legend had his doubts.

Renowned Steelers podcaster and network director of Pro Football Insiders, Jeff Hartman, recently hyped up JJ Watt’s announcing role. As Hartman wrote on his X handle,

“Gotta be honest. I was skeptical of @JJWatt calling games before the season started. But he’s done a tremendous job, especially with Steelers games. He’ll be on the call Sunday.” To this, Watt added his own thoughts.

Reposting Hartman’s words, JJ Watt added his own words of appreciation and confessed: “Well thank you Jeff. I appreciate that. I’ll be honest, I too was skeptical of myself.”

Stepping into the shoes of longtime announcer Charles Davis was quite a big challenge. And Watt had even noted once that he wasn’t sure announcing was for him. He said it straight:

“I have a very difficult time criticizing guys because I was on the field.” He knows how it feels when a player gets blamed on national TV for a bad play. So, he’s careful not to be that harsh critic. Still, he loves being part of the game and breaking down football. Watt isn’t dodging the tough calls, though.

His style mixes respect with solid football knowledge. Bringing a natural and clear voice to the game, Watt also keeps it light with humorous takes from time to time. Like on one occasion, when his brother TJ Watt batted a pass, JJ gleefully noted:

“He learned that from somewhere … It couldn’t have been his brother, because his brother catches those.” 

He works well with veteran Ian Eagle, and even when his pants ripped on air, he handled it like a pro. Behind the scenes, Watt has had time to grow. His doubt wasn’t about skill but about fitting in. Announcing demands juggling sharp analysis, good storytelling, and fairness. He says this season is a steep learning curve, but he is stoked to be calling big games, especially those featuring his brother and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But JJ Watt’s frequent presence at Steelers games, like the upcoming Steelers vs. the Cleveland Browns game, has raised its fair share of eyebrows. Some suspect bias. But is that true? Well, JJ has clarified his stance on that matter, too.

Brotherly bias? JJ Watt’s take on the Steelers games

On a recent edition of the Pat McAfee Show, JJ Watt tackled the ‘bias talk’ head-on. McAfee joked about how many Steelers games Watt calls. Watt has already presided over two of the Steelers’ games, with Sunday, October 12, being the third time around. Watt simply explained it’s CBS’s scheduling, not favoritism.

“It turns out that the second-best AFC games on CBS every week generally does tend to involve the Pittsburgh Steelers, while they’re sitting at 3-1. Yes, there have been quite a few.”

Steelers fill premium AFC windows, so Watt’s assigned to their games more often. When McAfee jokingly asked Watt not to be biased or “too excited,” Watt noted that he is excited. But it’s not just because TJ will be playing, or the fact that TJ has his birthday a day before the game.

JJ noted that he’s excited about the quality of play, praising pass rushers on both teams. He also highlighted the Browns’ promising rookies, showing his balanced enthusiasm.

“I’m excited. We’ve got Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt in the same game. It’s going to be great, incredible pass rush in this game. And the Browns’ rookies are crushing it. The Browns’ rookie draft they’re not getting enough credit. I mean, they’re getting a lot of credit, but this rookie draft class, they’re killing it.”

This clears the air. Watt’s focus stays on football, not team loyalties. He’s here to call the best game possible, whether it’s his brother’s team or their rivals. But if he gets a chance to take a dig at his brother, you just know he won’t let that pass. For now, we look forward not just to the Browns vs. Steelers battle, but also JJ Watt’s takes from up in the booth.