One of the greatest to ever play football is soon going to appear in his final NFL game, with Arizona Cardinals defensive end JJ Watt announcing that he'll be retiring by the end of the 2022 NFL season.

Walking away from the game doesn't always come easy for an athlete, especially for someone who's been considered elite, which is also why it's understandable that it took JJ Watt quite some time to finally arrive at the decision.

“I’m at peace,” JJ Watt said of his decision, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.

Moreover, JJ Watt also said that his decision took time and some people already knew of his looming retirement as early as three weeks before he made the public announcement.

Watt announced his decision via a tweet he made Tuesday in which he said that he has played his final NFL home game, indicating his retirement. The Cardinals went up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home last Sunday and lost to Tom Brady and company in overtime, 19-16. In that game, JJ Watt had two tackles for loss and a total of six tackles in 77 defensive snaps — the most he's had, so far this season.

Watt has been in the NFL as a player since 2011. That year, he was taken by the Houston Texans in the first round (11th overall) of the NFL Draft and would go on to build a Hall of Fame-worthy pro resume, one, that unfortunately, doesn't include a Super Bowl win. Nevertheless, JJ Watt is a legend on and off the field.