NFL legend JJ Watt sends strong message to media who criticize rookies' early struggles

Former NFL star defensive end J.J. Watt says the media is too harsh on rookies who struggle early in their careers.

With football season finally here, gamblers, fantasy football owners and media are on the prowl.

In recent years, rookies have stormed onto the scene like never before, but it is easy to forget one thing: rookies are still rookies.

The jump from college to professional sports is the most difficult. Finally, you are facing the best of the best, both in skill and in smarts. So, when the media is quick to criticize a rookie in their very first practice, it could be unfair.

Earlier this year, NFL legend J.J. Watt ripped some media members who were "s---ting on" rookies at OTAs and refusing to "let guys develop."

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Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, #99, and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus, #59, celebrate after making a stop against the Tennessee Titans in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)

In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Watt said he kept quiet to avoid the trouble. However, now that he is retired, he feels a responsibility to stand up to the rookies who do not yet have a voice.

"There’s a lot of things that when you’re playing, you can’t really say, because you’re playing, you don’t want to say too much. But now that I’m out, and there’s things that I’ve seen over the years that I’ve experienced personally, or I’ve seen my teammates affected by it, I want to be able to kind of speak about it, speak on behalf of those players. One of those things is the way that we don’t let players develop in this league," Watt said. 

"We expect guys to be unbelievable right out