- JJ Watt and Kealia Watt were married in 2020 and welcomed their first child in October.
- The two pro athletes make up one of sports' most popular and influential power couples.
- JJ Watt announced his intention to retire at the end of the season over social media Tuesday.
JJ and Kaelia Watt make up one of the greatest power couples in sports history.
JJ Watt, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, and Kealia Watt, a midfielder/forward for the Chicago Red Stars of the NWSL and US Women's National Team, have been together since 2016. They have enjoyed many of the premium perks that come with their stature as professional athletes.
Here's a look at the life that JJ and Kealia have made so far:
JJ Watt and Kealia Watt have an estimated combined net worth of over $51 million.
Sources: Celebrity Net Worth and Players Bio
JJ Watt has made nearly $130 million in his 12 years in the NFL, the majority of which was spent with the Houston Texans.
Kealia Watt was paid a maximum annual salary of just $37,800 from 2014-2019 in the NWSL. In 2020, her maximum salary was increased to $50,000 under the NWSL's improved payroll policy to help create salary parity with male counterparts in MLS.
Source: NWSL
Kealia Watt is also paid a $100,000 salary to play for the U.S. Women's National Team.
Source: Associated Press
When JJ and the Texans traveled to Chicago to play the Bears in December of 2020, he sported Kealia's Chicago Red Stars jersey before the game as a shoutout to his other half.
—JJ Watt (@JJWatt) December 13, 2020The couple has also profited from a healthy dose of endorsement deals from the likes of Gatorade, Reebok, Verizon, Ford, HEB Grocery and NRG Energy, Papa John's, American Family Insurance, Bose, Yahoo!, and Fantasy Football.
Source: Forbes
JJ and Kealia Watt received a custom bottle of Cristal as a wedding gift in 2020, courtesy of Gatorade. For JJ, the gift fulfilled a childhood vision that he obtained while watching MTV's Cribs, as the bottle signified that he officially "made it."
The couple owns multiple houses, including a log cabin in Wisconsin which doubles as a training ground.
The couple spent Valentine's Eve at a rooftop bar in downtown Chicago, the home base of Kealia's most recent team.
—JJ Watt (@JJWatt) February 14, 2021The two were forced to go into quarantine shortly after their wedding due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the two passed the time by training together at their home in Wisconsin, according to People Magazine.
Source: People Magazine
In 2018, the couple trained as a team to recover from serious injuries, according to Sports Illustrated. JJ suffered a tibial plateau fracture, while Kealia was working her way back from a torn ACL. With each other's help, both athletes made it back to the field.
Source: Sports Illustrated
After Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston in 2017, the couple donated $350,000 to the Houston Food Bank and then raised over $41.6 million by starting The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.
—Houston Food Bank (@HoustonFoodBank) March 15, 2020Source: ESPN
The couple partnered with Reebok to produce a sneaker collection labeled 'His & Hers' and made donations to women's shelters for every purchased pair.
—JJ Watt (@JJWatt) November 10, 2020—JJ Watt (@JJWatt) November 10, 2020In 2020, JJ and Kealia took a vacation to Hawaii after the two wrapped up their respective seasons. It was a much-needed getaway for JJ, who had just finished trudging through a 4-12 season with the Houston Texans.
Their wedding was held at The Ocean Club, a Four Seasons Resort in the Bahamas.
JJ and Kealia have two dogs named Tex and Finley, and they've become very familiar with both soccer balls and footballs since joining the Watt family.
In October 2022, JJ and Kealia welcomed their first child, Koa James Watt, to the world.
JJ really seems to like being a dad.
On Christmas Day 2022, JJ, now with the Arizona Cardinals, played brilliantly in a tough loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Two days after the game, Watt announced his retirement from the NFL.
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