NEW YORK (AP) — J.J. Watt has signed a multi-year deal with CBS Sports to serve as a studio analyst. The announcement was made Thursday by CBS Sports President David Berson.

Watt's first appearance will be on “The NFL Today” during Week 1 on Sept. 9. He'll also be an analyst for NFL shows on CBS Sports Network and online.

“I love the game too much to be away from it entirely. I’m very excited to be joining CBS Sports to contribute across all their NFL shows and platforms, including working alongside and learning from JB, Coach, Boomer, Phil and Nate this fall,” Watt said in a statement. “Hopefully fans will enjoy the insights and knowledge I’ve gained over my 12 years in the NFL and if we’re lucky, we’ll share a few laughs along the way as well.”

Watt was a three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year and retired last season after a 12-year career in which he had 114 1/2 sacks. He was the 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft by Houston and spent 10 seasons with the Texans before playing the last two years for the Arizona Cardinals.

The 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year is the only player in league history to record multiple seasons with at least 20 sacks.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL