T.J. Watt, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, was injured on Sunday in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals during a play where he rushed QB Joe Burrow and made contact with his upper body. Watt quickly went to the locker room and appeared to say, “I tore my pec” to the Steelers’ training staff.
Initial reports during and following the game noted that the Steelers believed that Watt tore his pectoral muscle, pending further tests on Monday.
Latest update on T.J. Watt and timeline for return
According to a league source who spoke to PFN’s Aaron Wilson, Watt — who suffered a partially torn pectoral — could return as soon as five weeks. That would put the timeline around the October 16th game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Steelers play the Buffalo Bills on October 9 and the Miami Dolphins on October 23.
Watt, 27, has racked up 37.5 sacks over the past two seasons, and he’s the center point of the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ defensive attack.
The Steelers’ defense was a terror on Sunday, picking off Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow four times while racking up seven sacks. The unit may not post an effort that strong every Sunday, but they’ll need to be effective to support an offense that lacks star power at quarterback and along the offensive line.
Next up in line to fill in for Watt will be Alex Highsmith, who posted three sacks against Cincinnati. A third-round pick out of Charlotte in 2020, Highsmith played 76% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps in 2021 — fourth-most on the team — while managing six sacks and 38 pressures.
He’s also an elite run defender. Highsmith flashes excellent awareness in the run game, regularly showing the ability to set the edge and play contain. Last season, Highsmith finished tied for sixth in ESPN’s run-block win rate (29%).
General manager Omar Khan added a bit more pass-rushing depth in the preseason, sending a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Malik Reed and a 2023 seventh-rounder. Reed isn’t a star, and the dropoff from Watt to Reed is obviously massive. But Reed is a quality veteran to have around in the event of an injury, and he put up eight sacks as recently as 2020.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this report.