J.J. Watt shares great Philip Rivers memory as QB announces retirement

The fact that Rivers peppered his retirement statement with country-fried words like “dadgummit” and “y’all” really speaks to the quirky, down-home personality the 39-year-old cultivated during his career.

Once word spread throughout the NFL world that Rivers was hanging up his cleats for good, well-wishes and remembrances began to flood social media. Among those sharing a fond memory or two about their interactions with Rivers both on and off the field was Houston Texans star J.J. Watt.

The best part of Watt’s social media dispatch is how he amended his original tweet to change “hell of a” to “heckuva,” which without question was a nod to Rivers’ aversion to cussing despite being known as one of the most notorious trash talkers in the NFL.

Highlights of Rivers’ relentless — but G-rated — smack talk quickly began to surface on Twitter once his retirement was made official as well.

While Rivers’ first post-retirement stop will involve him fulfilling his dream of serving as a high school football coach in his native Alabama, which has long been known, odds are the fiery competitor will make a trip to Canton, Ohio, in a few years for his enshrinement.