Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt is one of the most talented pass players in the NFL, and in true Watt fashion, he’s one of the biggest grinders in the league. He plays with his pants on fire on every play, and he plays a ton of snaps. So when he comes off the field, whatever injury he’s trying to play through is serious. What do we know about the Steelers’ outside linebacker’s injury?
T.J. Watt Injury Update
Although he’s standing on the sideline with his helmet on, Watt has not returned to the game since the Cardinals’ last punt, when he struggled to get off the field. When he got to the sideline, he immediately got with trainers, and the veteran rusher was clearly pain.
#Steelers star pass rusher T.J. Watt appears to be in a lot of pain on the sideline.
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 3, 2023
Watt returned to the game with about four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after the Steelers scored to make it a 24-10 game.
Steelers Can’t Afford To Lose Watt
It’s a good thing the injury wasn’t serious because few players in the NFL can change a game the way that Watt can. Alongside pass rushers like Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, Nick Bosa, and Maxx Crosby, offenses find themselves defending against five unblockable entities in the NFL. We’re in the golden age of pass rushers.
Unfortunately, Watt struggled with injuries a season ago, missing seven games. Like the younger Bosa, who has avoided injuries in a way his older sibling has not, the younger Watt has done the same. J.J. had one of the highest highs of all time, but his younger brother has remained healthy.
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Even when he was on the field last season, he was very clearly not at 100 percent. But he got back to his ultra-productive ways in 2023. He’s managed 13.5 sacks through 11 games while adding three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and one of the coolest interceptions of the season against Matthew Stafford.
