When J.J. Watt speaks, the football world pays attention! Hence, when the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year took to his X handle to name his favorite defensive player of the last decade, it garnered a swift reaction from the fans. Post retirement, J.J. Watt has not shied away from sharing his ardent opinions. Now, Watt, who played 12 seasons, primarily with the Houston Texans before he retired in 2022, has shared his strong opinion on Football Outsiders founder Aaron Schatz’s post.

When Schatz dropped the receipts on X for the category Most Defeats in the Season, spanning between 1994-2024, J.J. Watt knew who his number one option was. NFL legend Watt praised Lavonte David with a powerful 4-word message, writing, “Lavonte David criminally underrated.”

He praised him among the linebackers in a stat called Defeats by Schatz — a play that ends in a loss for the offense, whether it’s a tackle for loss, a turnover, or a stop on third/fourth down.

In his post, Aaron Schatz mentioned he “was playing around with some old defensive numbers and thought I would share this list of the most defeats in a season since 1994.”

And, he emphatically writes, “@JJWatt was the king.” Watt had 56 defeats in 2012, making it one of the most dominant defensive seasons in NFL history. But, for Watt, Lavonte David is the ultimate winner. As per the list, David stands out with two top seasons, i.e., in 2013 with 50 Defeats and 2014 with 42 Defeats.

The Bucs LB, David, is now heading into his 14th NFL season and has missed only 14 games in 13 seasons. Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2012 NFL Draft, despite his limited Pro Bowl recognition, his all-around performance makes him one of the most underrated LBs of this generation.

Building a strong case for the Hall of Fame, 2025 perhaps may be a “last dance” season for him to secure an enduring legacy. As Aaron Schatz’s metrics highlighted David’s dominance in defeats, NFL analyst and commentator J.J. Watt acknowledged him with his words. Moreover, fans also jumped on the bandwagon.

Fans react with “Talent Knows Talent” on JJ Watts’ post

The moment former Houston Texans player JJ Watt called Lavonte David the most underrated player of the last decade, fans, especially Buccaneers diehards, had something to say. Some, like @AndyFindlay82, were emotional when David received validation from a fellow great NFL player.

He wrote, “Thank you, JJ. As a Buc fan who has seen his whole career, we have been shouting from the rooftops about how good he is, but gets no recognition. To hear a fellow pro tell the world this is so satisfying. Talent knows Talent. HOF player, like yourself.”

For others, it heated up an old debate on the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year vote, which many believe Lavonte David deserved over Luke Kuechly. “Just a reminder that Luke Kuechly won DPOY in 2013 over Lavonte David,” wrote @Planet Taylor. @PyettLogan also added, “Notice how 2013 Kuechly isn’t on the list, and somehow he beat Lavonte for DPOY. David’s stats were way better but he wasn’t on a playoff team and it was his fault of course!”

Other fans took it further, writing, “He’s better than Luke Kuechly. One is hailed as one of the greatest of all time, one isn’t talked about. Makes zero sense,” argued @BucsStan.

Some fans acknowledged David’s consistency, writing, “I always thought he was highly regarded tbf. A great player. And to date, a one team player. Which is becoming increasingly rare these days,” noted @ted_holmes.

Indeed, JJ Watt’s tweet opened the vault on a decade-long conversation, giving David the long-due recognition.