J.J. Watt sweating NFL return as Burnley GK James Trafford continues clean sheet streak

J.J. Watt thought his response to a request from James Trafford was an unrealistic one. The Burnley goalkeeper reached out to the former NFL pass rusher, who is also a minority owner in the club, with a simple ask: Would you come out of retirement to play for my beloved Cincinnati Bengals?

Watt, 35, retired in 2023 after a 12-year NFL career with the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals that saw him win NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times. Not thinking about playing again, Watt told Trafford he would do it only if the goalkeeper did not allow a goal for the rest of the season.

The next day, Trafford stopped three shots during a 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough. The clean sheets kept coming, but the promise nearly fell apart during a goalless draw with Sunderland in January when Trafford stopped two penalty kicks.

That performance not only kept Burnley from dropping a point it also kept the promise alive, which Watt acknowledged on social media by posting Trafford’s request from December.

Following Burnley’s 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday last Friday, Trafford has now posted 12 consecutive league clean sheets — 11 since his conversation with Watt, who spent time last week looking at Cincinnati real estate.

The last time Trafford allowed goal was Dec. 21 during a 2-1 win over Watford.

“I’ll do it,” Watt told Dan Patrick this week. “If he does it, it’s insane enough that I will absolutely follow through. I’ll go out there. Who knows if [the Bengals] will even want me. I don’t even know, I haven’t talked to them. But I’m in shape. I’ll go play.”

Watt added that he never filed retirement paper with the NFL, so he’s unsure about the coming-out-of-retirement process should Trafford continue his shutout streak. (Watt did say in May that he told Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans if he ever needed help, to call him.)

Manchester United hold the longest run of consecutive clean sheets in English football after not conceding a goal in 14 straight matches during the 2008-09 season.

“Hopefully it happens, but the chances of it happening, it’s extremely slim,” Trafford told Sky Sports last week.

An NFL return may not be the only thing Watt will celebrate come the end of the EFL Championship season in May. Burnley current sit in third place, two points behind Sheffield United for an automatic promotion spot to the Premier League. There are 12 games left with the possibility of playoffs should they finish between third and sixth place.

Trafford and Burnley will look to keep the streak going in their next match on Saturday against Preston.