Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt made a stunning admission Sunday afternoon, revealing his heart had been “shocked back into rhythm” Thursday after an incident of atrial fibrillation.
In true warrior fashion, Watt simply concluded with the message, ‘I’m playing today.”
I was just told somebody leaked some personal information about me and it’s going to be reported on today.
I went into A-Fib on Wednesday, had my heart shocked back into rhythm on Thursday and I’m playing today.
That’s it.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) October 2, 2022
Watt also expressed concern that “somebody leaked some personal information about me and it’s going to be reported on today.”
This raises a lot of questions. It does not mean that Watt suffered a heart attack. AFib is the most common type of irregular heartbeat, affecting some 5 million in the U.S., according to Hopkins Medicine. It is not necessarily life-threatening, but can lead to complications if untreated long term.
This also does not mean that Watt underwent defibrillation — the procedure commonly shown on TV medical dramas. That procedure is used for VFib, a different type of arrhythmia. Watt most likely underwent a common procedure known as cardioversion, which is used to restore normal rhythm.
Watt’s Tweet, coming just before the Sunday afternoon 1 p.m. games, stunned the NFL world.
“This kind of mentality is the hardest thing for non-athletes to understand,” tweeted Ty Schalter of FiveThirtyEight. “Even by elite-athlete standards, though, this *specific* mentality is off-the-charts bananapants.”
This kind of mentality is the hardest thing for non-athletes to understand.
Even by elite-athlete standards, though, this *specific* mentality is off-the-charts bananapants https://t.co/2bzAXe58ag
— Ty Schalter (@tyschalter) October 2, 2022
— Roy White III (@RDubThree) October 2, 2022
1) Glad JJ Watt is okay. Still, I definitely wouldn't be out there a few days after getting an irregular heartbeat shocked back into rhythm.
2) We hear about players' health conditions, surgeries, injuries, who had Covid, etc all the time. Why is this different? https://t.co/zkDqsjCltq
— Britni Danielle (@BritniDWrites) October 2, 2022
My mom has afib and had the same procedure. It made a huge difference for her, and should have a higher percentage chance of being very effective in someone as young/healthy as Watt. But it's absolutely wild for him to play today. https://t.co/MtFPE7iWgk
— Jeanna Kelley (@jeannathomas) October 2, 2022
Some wondered if Watt were throwing shade at the Tua Tagovailoa situation.
I assume this is a shade tweet toward the Tua situation. If it is not… https://t.co/6t64Lf0TH8
— Gordon Gross (@GMoneyNuggs) October 2, 2022
Aaron Rodgers later today: I was pronounced legally dead yesterday. I’m playing today. That’s it. https://t.co/X48Cfpq3Zo
— Brett (@BrettRedacted) October 2, 2022
The 1-2 Cardinals play on the road against the Carolina Panthers (also 1-2) Sunday afternoon.
[J.J. Watt; photo of Watt during August training camp from The Arizona Republic, via USA Today Sports]
