Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt is one of the best defensive players in the NFL and has been pretty much since he entered the league in 2017. Unfortunately, the Steelers will have to try to upset the Buffalo Bills on Monday without him. What happened to Watt, and why isn’t he playing this week?
Why Is T.J. Watt Out for Wild Card Weekend?
Since debuting in 2017, Watt has been mostly durable. He’s played in at least 15 games every season. Watt has actually played in every game this season. It’s what makes this timing so brutal.
Watt injured his knee in the Steelers’ Week 18 win over the Baltimore Ravens. It happened on this play:
#Steelers OLB T.J. Watt went down at the end of this play and appeared to be in significant pain.
Watt is now in the blue medical tent.
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365)
This is easily the most unfortunate type of injury, as Watt was a victim of a bit of friendly fire here, when a teammate collided with him after the play had already ended.
Watt’s injury was as flukey as they get. The play was over. A fellow defender just happened to hit his knee at the exact wrong angle, resulting in an MCL injury.
Currently, there are conflicting reports as to whether Watt’s injury is merely a sprain or a full tear. The former would give Watt a chance to return in the unlikely event the Steelers advance deep into the playoffs. The latter would likely require surgery, sidelining him for several months.
Watt is not at any risk of missing the start of the 2024 season, but he’s not playing this Monday. It’s a crushing blow for the Steelers, who are already facing an uphill battle as double-digit underdogs in Buffalo.
Watt finished the season with a league-leading 19 sacks. It’s the third time he’s led the NFL sacks in the past four seasons. Watt also recorded 68 tackles, forced four fumbles, and secured one interception en route to another Pro Bowl season, his sixth in a row.
It’s obviously impossible to replace Watt. When asked about how the Steelers will try, Tomlin said, “You know, it hadn’t been a lot of times where I think about not having T.J. (Watt), to be quite honest with you.
“But we’ve got depth at that position. That’s why we went out and thoughtfully acquired Markus Golden. That’s why we drafted (Nick) Herbig. We’re as deep at that position as we’ve been in some time.”
Tomlin continued, “We’re comfortable with the quality of depth. (Kyron) Johnson has had a helmet for the last number of weeks, although his contributions have been primarily on special teams. There’s another guy at the position that knows what to do that’s available to us.
“And so, we have an appropriate number of people. We have guys that are capable. We have guys that have been here. We have guys that know what to do. So, we’re going to utilize all of that.”
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The Steelers will get Minkah Fitzpatrick back this week. He is returning from a three-game absence. His presence will give the secondary a much-needed boost. It’s at least something to soften the blow of losing Watt. But it will take a full team effort if the Steelers are to go into Buffalo and send the Bills packing.
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