T.J. Watt came up lame late in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 15 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. Below is the latest on Watt’s status.
What Happened to T.J. Watt?
The former Defensive Player of the Year came up hobbled in significant pain after crumpling to the ground on a pass rush with 4:50 remaining in the fourth quarter.
TJ Watt goes down with an injury on this play….
Prayers up 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼#NFL #Steelers pic.twitter.com/bhNwEILfzD
— The Standard (@TheStandard412) December 16, 2024
Watt didn’t see any lower-body contact on the play, so it’s not immediately clear what his injury is.
The veteran edge rusher had two sacks and seven tackles on the afternoon prior to exiting.
Potential Impact of Watt’s Injury
Watt may not be in the same Defensive Player of the Year heights he’s occupied in previous seasons, but he’s still the most important player on the Steelers’ defense. The eighth-year pro leads Pittsburgh with 11.5 sacks, though his 42 pressures are actually second on the team behind Cameron Heyward.
The Steelers entered this game ranked ninth in pressure rate when blitzing, presumably because of the attention that Watt attracts. A lack of pressure could be an issue long-term — through 14 weeks, the Steelers allowed the 10th-most yards per non-pressured completion allowed (11.1).
