The Extra Point

For Mike McGlinchey, his “welcome to the NFL” moment came as a rookie back in 2018 with the 49ers when he lined up against J.J. Watt in a joint practice in Houston and got flattened in a drill. McGlinchey and the 49ers will get the chance to send Watt off into retirement when they face the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year in his final game.

“He’s a surefire Hall of Fame player,” McGlinchey said. “He’s everything that he was advertised to be and more.

“I have the ultimate respect to him and his career . ... Our game is going to miss him, but I don’t think the 49ers are going to miss him as much as the rest of the world.”

Watt was among the premier defensive players in the NFL during the early 2010s with Houston and ended his career with Arizona.

During a four-year stretch from 2012 to 2015 that was as dominant as any by a defensive player, he had 69 sacks and earned all three of his AP Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Watt was solid during his rookie season, but became a star in 2012, with a stunning 201⁄2 sacks and 39 tackles for a loss. His production dipped slightly in 2013 before two more big seasons. He had 201⁄2 sacks in 2014 and 171⁄2 in 2015.

His numbers slipped during the later half of his career, largely because of injuries. He has had a late-career revival with the Cardinals — his 101⁄2 sacks this season are his most since 2018.

“He’s so talented and physically gifted,” McGlinchey said. “If you don’t come off as hard as you can to try and block this guy, he’s going to run you over. But on top of it, he has the speed, quickness and agility to turn the corner and swim you and have you fall flat on your face and avoid you and get back all in the same breath.”