J.J. Watt showed real promise in CBS analyst debut

J.J. Watt’s first NFL game saw the future three-time Defensive Player of the Year record five tackles and a fumble recovery in the Houston Texans’ season opener against the Indianapolis Colts in 2011.

Despite a solid but unspectacular statistical debut, Watt showed flashes of what would become a Hall of Fame career. Looking back, you could see the foundation of greatness was already there.

The same could be said about Watt’s broadcasting debut on Sunday.

In his first game as an analyst alongside Ian Eagle, Watt displayed the kind of natural instincts and technical expertise that suggest he could become genuinely good at this. Unlike many former players who struggle to translate their knowledge into compelling television, Watt seemed to understand the medium from the start.

Five seconds into his analyst career, Watt dropped a Michael Scott “snip snap, snip snap” reference that immediately established his personality. It was the perfect way to show he wasn’t going to be some generic former player reading talking points.

The chemistry with Eagle was impressive for a debut. When Eagle said a field goal kicker “massaged it through,” Watt seemed bemused by the description. These little moments showed they were already developing a natural rhythm.

Watt’s standout moment came when referee Bill Vinovich screwed up an announcement. Vinovich called a low block on Jalen Ramsey but initially announced it as a 15-yard penalty on the offense, which would have been on Garrett Wilson.

Watt immediately called it a “WWE heel turn,” which was brilliant. Then he added, “The refs just changed the feeling of this entire building. Wow.”

Most analysts would have focused on the technical aspects or moved on quickly. Watt understood that officiating mistakes can shift the emotional momentum of an entire stadium, and he had the perfect wrestling analogy to explain it.

Even the tricky family dynamic worked well. Watt handled talking about his brother T.J. professionally, sometimes referring to him as “No. 90” to maintain objectivity. He was never a shill, keeping his analysis fair even when his brother was making plays.

His most endearing moment came when he mixed up Cam and Connor Heyward: “Oh, my brothers are going to be pissed at me for that.” The comment was self-aware and funny, showing someone comfortable enough to acknowledge his mistakes without getting flustered.

When Watt discussed defensive line play, his expertise came through clearly. He defended the defensive line on a questionable call where Aaron Rodgers wasn’t actually outside the tackle box, demonstrating he wasn’t afraid to challenge officials when his knowledge told him they got it wrong.

What impressed most was Watt’s natural television instincts. He seemed to understand his job wasn’t just explaining football, but also entertaining people while explaining football. His timing and ability to find the right analogy for the moment proved he gets that distinction.

Eagle handled the partnership well, giving Watt room to showcase his expertise without letting dead air creep in. The veteran play-by-play announcer seemed to recognize early that Watt had something to work with, setting him up for successful moments rather than putting him in spots where he might struggle.

Watt looked comfortable from the start, which isn’t always the case with former players making their broadcast debuts. He wasn’t trying to be overly polished or someone he’s not. And his willingness to drop pop culture references and laugh at his own mistakes showed someone who understood that being authentic on television works better than trying to be perfect.

Watt was always a student of the game as a player. If he approaches broadcasting the same way, this could work out well for everyone. Based on Sunday’s debut, there’s reason to think it will.