J.J. Watt's selfie feud with Zach Mettenberger continues
Eight months after getting provoked by Houston Texans superstar J.J. Watt, Tennessee Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger mustered a comeback.
Watt mocked Mettenberger during his rookie campaign for posting selfies on Instagram, then proceeded to pantomime a self-portrait after sacking the 23-year-old old in a Week 8 victory.
After the game, Watt said his celebration was a reminder that the NFL isn't high school.
Clearly bothered by his remarks, Mettenberger offered a response Tuesday.
"J.J. had to say it’s a bit high school-ish that I take selfies and I think he still rags me on Instagram every time he posts a selfie," Mettenberger said via John McClain of The Houston Chronicle. "At the same time, if that's high school-ish, he got a letterman jacket made, a Texans letterman jacket. That's pretty high school-ish to me, don't you think?"
Watt may have responded early on Wednesday, tweeting:
A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of a sheep. Time to attack the day.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 8, 2015
It makes sense that Mettenberger would wait until the summer to fire back. Watt went on to capture Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second time in three years after a season that some considered the best by a defensive player in nearly 30 years.
Conversely, Mettenberger struggled throughout his rookie year, completing 59.8 percent of his passes for eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.
"It (the sack and fake selfie) was kind of a reminder that this is the NFL, not high school,” Watt said to McClain after the 30-16 win on Oct. 26. "This is the National Football League. Welcome to the show."
"I take this game seriously,” Watt said. "If I were a rookie being named a starter for the first time, I’d be a little more focused. But we won the game. That's all that matters."
The Texans and Titans square off twice a year, but it's unlikely Mettenberger exacts his revenge on the field. Tennessee selected reigning Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota with the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and Mettenberger will almost certainly be relegated to the bench.
In any event, it's probably not a good idea to incite Watt into a fit of rage.