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Watt to retire once he's no longer among game's best

Bob Levey / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is unquestionably one of the NFL's best players, and that's probably the only way fans will ever see him.

Watt said Wednesday during an interview on 610 Sports Radio in Houston that he'll retire when he's no longer one of the top players in football.

Watt told the hosts he won't be the type of athlete who plays as long as he possibly can, according to NFL Network's James Palmer.

Perhaps former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson's recent retirement will serve as a model for Watt. Johnson was an elite player for the entirety of his nine-year career. Though Johnson likely could have kept playing for at least another half-decade, he chose to walk away from football earlier this year at age 30, perhaps sensing his skills were about to decline due to an accumulation of injuries.

Watt, 27, was named Defensive Player of the Year in three of his first five NFL seasons. But he spoke recently about the wear and tear on his body and how he played through three major injuries in 2015.

It's likely Watt has many years of high-end production left in him, but his message is a good reminder that football fans should never take a player of his caliber for granted.

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