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Arizona Cardinals Player J.J. Watt Says He’s Playing, Days After Getting Heart Shocked

The star defensive end's declaration came days after news that Tua Tagovailoa may have been improperly cleared to play on Thursday.

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt got in front of the news—and bad press that could follow—announcing he would play in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers just days after getting his heart shocked. “I went into A-Fib on Wednesday, had my heart shocked back into rhythm on Thursday and I’m playing today,” he tweeted, saying the news had just been leaked. “That’s it.” His desire to play comes days after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion on Thursday following an in-game injury last Sunday, leading to questions over whether players are being allowed to return to the field too quickly. It was unclear which outlet had the news leaked to them, but NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport reported that a doctor’s visit on Wednesday led to Watt’s atrial fibrillation diagnosis, which resulted in the procedure.