Maybe it’s easier when it’s a former teammate, but JJ Watt put on his NFL insider hat Thursday morning to break the news that the Arizona Cardinals were releasing tight end Zach Ertz.
Watt beat out Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport and team beat reporters to the scoop that Ertz requested his release and the team acquiesced. Ertz will reportedly join a playoff contender soon.
“Trying new things in retirement, so let’s steal @AdamSchefter job for a day,” Watt wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Trying new things in retirement, so let’s steal @AdamSchefter job for a day…
TE Zach Ertz has requested & been granted his release from the Arizona Cardinals.
The 3-Time Pro Bowler plans to sign with a contender and make a run at his 2nd Super Bowl ring.
(This is easy Adam) pic.twitter.com/pK4qCcCfay
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) November 30, 2023
Watt and Ertz were Cardinals teammates from 2020 through 2022.
Even funnier, Schefter and Rapoport then had to post the obligatory confirmation of the future Hall of Famer on their own feeds.
Confirming @JJWatt: Cardinals and TE Zach Ertz are mutually parting ways, with Arizona deciding to move forward with its TE Trey McBride while giving Ertz the opportunity to finish out the season somewhere else, per sources. Ertz will go on waivers. https://t.co/Y6btKVKVZH
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 30, 2023
The #AZCardinals will waive TE Zach Ertz after he requested it, as @JJWatt reported. A potential interesting name on waivers.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 30, 2023
Since retiring from the NFL, Watt has been busy. He is a panelist for NFL Today on CBS each weekend and a recurring guest host on The Pat McAfee Show each Wednesday for Trenches Wednesday alongside another former Cardinals player, AQ Shipley.
In 2020 when he joined the Cardinals, Watt took the scoop into his own hands as well.
While Watt won’t fully rule out a return to the NFL, but if he can keep the insider gig rolling, maybe that can fulfill the competitive spirit.
And while Watt seems to like controlling his own news and playing insider, he’s hardly the first or only athlete to do it.
Last offseason, MLB pitcher Marcus Stroman reported he was joining the Cubs. In 2018, NBA guard Damian Lillard reported some sports media movement, dropping on Twitter that insider Chris Haynes was joining Yahoo Sports from ESPN.
Let’s see if Watt can get the potential Kyler Murray trade news this offseason from the Arizona braintrust.
