While the modern NFL is all about quarterback play, some still believe that defense wins championships. And if that’s the case, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a good spot with T.J. Watt on the roster. The 29-year-old linebacker is a fixture in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation and looms large as one of the league’s best at taking down the quarterback.
That skill set would come in handy against the Buffalo Bills during Super Wild Card Weekend, right? Well, there’s a catch. Watt won’t be on the field for the must-win matchup.
What’s going on with the linebacker? And, assuming the Steelers can stay alive, when can he return to the lineup?
Let’s break things down.
What Happened to T.J. Watt?
When you think of an NFL injury, it’s easy to imagine a crunching tackle or a big-time, open-field hit. In Watt’s case, though, things were much more innocuous.
During Week 18’s date with the Ravens, the linebacker collided with teammate Montravius Adams in the third quarter. He hit the turf in apparent pain and was helped to the sidelines.
Watt didn’t return to the game, but he did manage to make an impact (seven tackles, two sacks and two quarterback hits) before his early exit.
Ultimately, the Steelers won and earned a place in the postseason. But that might not buy their star linebacker enough time.
What’s Watt’s Diagnosis?
In the world of professional sports, injury reports aren’t always helpful. Between indistinct descriptions and ambiguous statuses (being a limited participant in practice doesn’t really clarify things), fans are usually left trying to read the tea leaves.
This time, though, we heard from someone pretty close to the player in question.
On Sunday, January 7, Watt’s brother J.J. shared that T.J. had landed on the best-case scenario and only suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain; everything else on the MRI was apparently clean.
A few days later, the Steelers’ head coach confirmed that the linebacker would be out of action when the playoffs begin.
“Playing without T.J. is significant,” Mike Tomlin explained on Tuesday. “But to be quite honest with you, we’ve played without a lot of people this year; it’s just another opportunity for us to strike a blow for the team.
“It’s going to be a committee approach. We better strengthen our output in other areas because T.J. is one of a kind.”
When Can T.J. Watt Return?
Given that T.J. Watt has already been ruled out for Wild Card Weekend, the focus now shifts to his potential return. And while you never know how someone’s body is going to respond, there is a loose timeline out there.
In his tweet, J.J. Watt wrote that his brother was looking at a “couple weeks of rest/recovery.”
And speaking on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport shared a similar take, albeit with a bit more detail.
It is a Grade 2 MCL sprain. It’s actually better than they initially thought. They thought Grade 3 based on the first examination, MRI revealed Grade 2,” the insider explained. “That’s still a several-week injury. My understanding is that the best-case scenario, absolute best-case scenario for T.J. Watt is two weeks, and then put a brace on it. So, he is not going to be on the field at least this week, likely next week, and then we will see if the Steelers and Mason Rudolph, their starting quarterback, advance.”
A Tough Loss for the Steelers
It goes without saying that losing a DPOY candidate is never ideal. The timing of Watt’s injury, however, makes things even tougher.
The Steelers’ first-round playoff matchup takes them to Buffalo, where they’ll face off against Josh Allen and company. And while the quarterback is capable of having some ugly moments, he’s also capable of working magic on his day.
Ideally, you’d want to pressure Allen; he’s at his worst when he tries to play hero ball and force things down the field. In fact, the Bills’ previous season came to a premature end last campaign when the Bengals sent extra rushers after him.
Watt, with his 96.5 sacks and 198 quarterback hits across seven professional seasons, would be a natural fit to bring that heat. Without him in the lineup, the Steelers’ next leading sack artist is Alex Highsmith, who had seven this season compared to Watt’s 19. After him, no Pittsburgh player has more than four.
Beyond that, the obvious stakes of the situation make the linebacker’s absence that much more prescient. There’s no room for error while trying to wait this injury out; if the Steelers lose, the campaign is over.
But sometimes opportunity is all someone needs to step up. Maybe Pittsburgh has another hero lurking somewhere else in the defense.
At this point, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
