The Pittsburgh Steelers have done well to retake control of the AFC North division, but they still have a lot of work to do when it comes to wrapping up the division. It would certainly help the team if it had superstar pass rusher T.J. Watt at its disposal, but he’s going to miss his second straight game with a lung injury in Week 16.
Watt’s scary injury has forced the rest of the Steelers’ defense to step up in his absence. How long they can keep this up, though, remains to be seen, and the team will surely be hoping to get him back on the field sooner rather than later. Ahead of Pittsburgh’s upcoming game, though, it received a concerning update on Watt’s injury status that will surely catch fans’ attention.
Steelers Unsure of When T.J. Watt Will Return to Action
By now, Watt’s billing as one of the most disruptive defenders in the NFL is common knowledge. In 13 games this season, Watt has racked up 53 tackles, seven sacks, one interception, seven pass deflections, and three fumbles forced. It certainly isn’t the best season of his career, but there simply aren’t many players in the league who can do what Watt does.
Ahead of Week 15, the Steelers announced that Watt was hospitalized after he suffered a lung injury while receiving treatment at the team’s facility. Unsurprisingly, he was ruled out for the team’s game against the Miami Dolphins, but the hope was that he’d be able to return to the field in Week 16.
That did not end up materializing, as Watt was ruled out for this game on Friday. And while there was initially some optimism surrounding his ability to get back on the field this season, that is now being met with some skepticism, as the primary focus is on getting Watt back to full health, rather than rushing him into action.
“After missing two games due to a partially collapsed lung, T.J. Watt’s return to play remains murky and uncertain, per sources,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported in a post on X. “Watt’s focus has been on getting healthy from his partially collapsed lung; returning to play is secondary, and has not been his focus.
Doctors will assess how he feels next week to see if there’s even a chance to play in Week 17, but ideally Watt gets more time to recover from his lung injury that resulted in him being ruled out of Sunday’s game vs. Detroit.”
Steelers Must Find Way to Win Without T.J. Watt in Week 16
GettySteelers star defensive-end T.J. Watt.
The scary nature of Watt’s injury has made it imperative that he focus on his own health before he can help the Steelers win football games again. There’s no doubt that sitting on the sidelines and watching has been difficult for Watt, but even with a playoff push in progress, Pittsburgh isn’t going to take any chances when it comes to his health and well-being.
Without Watt, Pittsburgh’s task of taking down the Detroit Lions in Week 16 has become much more difficult. Similar to the Steelers, the Lions are in fierce battle for a postseason spot, and if they lose, their hopes of reaching the playoffs would essentially vanish. The stakes are high, and with Watt out potentially beyond this game, that will make winning even more important for Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon.
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