JJ Watt says the idea of playing for the Bengals was not just a throwaway joke.
While in Cincinnati this week with Burnley for a friendly against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium, the retired NFL star spoke Friday about the bet he made with James Trafford late last season. Trafford told Watt he would have to play for the Bengals if the Burnley goalkeeper did not allow a goal for the rest of the season, and the clean-sheet streak eventually reached 12 games before it ended.
Watt said the exchange started as a joke, but it became a real talking point as Trafford kept the streak alive. By Watt’s telling, once the run stretched deep into the season, he began taking the possibility seriously enough to do a little extra training.
“That was a fun, crazy time because James and I were just messing around,” Watt said. “He's a big Bengals fan, but since then, I've seen him wearing a lot of different jerseys, so I question his status as the biggest fan. But when I made that joke, I was just making a joke, and then all of a sudden, I think it was like 14 games in a row or something. I literally started training a little bit extra, not really having any interest, but I was 1,000% serious. If he somehow, insanely, managed to do that.”
Why Cincinnati keeps coming up
Watt also said Cincinnati has been a recurring part of his football life, even after retirement. He explained that he has felt a connection with the city and the Bengals over the years, though he framed that history as a mix of early frustrations and later fun moments.
The setting added another layer to the story. Watt was already in town with Burnley, and the friendly match at TQL Stadium gave him a chance to revisit the joke in person. The Bengals, meanwhile, remain a team that still draws attention around pass rush and line play, which only made Watt’s comments more notable.
In the end, the return never happened, and Watt remains retired from the NFL. But his comments made one thing clear: the Bengals joke was closer to reality than many fans may have realized.
