Injury Report for the Pittsburgh Steelers: Why Is T.J. Watt Not Playing?

Even though quarterback play is crucial in the current NFL, some people still think defense wins titles. And with T.J. Watt in the lineup, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a strong position if that is the case. The 29-year-old linebacker is a constant in discussions about defensive player of the year and is regarded as one of the finest in the league at stopping the quarterback.

During Super Wild Card Weekend, such skill set would be useful against the Buffalo Bills, right? There’s a catch, though. Watt is not expected to play in the crucial game.

What is the linebacker’s situation? And when can he go back into the starting lineup, should the Steelers survive.

 what happened to him?

It’s simple to picture a big-time, open-field hit or a crunching tackle when you think of an NFL injury. However, Watt’s situation was far more benign.

The linebacker and teammate Montravius Adams clashed during the third quarter of the Ravens game in Week 18. He appeared to be in discomfort as he hit the turf and was assisted to the sidelines.

Watt did not come back into the game, but before leaving the game early, he had an impact: two sacks, two quarterback hits, and seven tackles.

In the end, the Steelers prevailed and were granted a postseason spot. Yet it might not buy them enough time with their star linebacker.

What is Watt’s condition?

Injury reports don’t always provide useful information in the realm of professional sports. Fans are typically left to interpret the tea leaves due to vague descriptions and unclear statuses (being a small participant in practice doesn’t actually clarify anything).

Nevertheless, this time, we heard from a person who was reasonably close to the concerned athlete.

Watt’s brother J.J. revealed on Sunday, January 7, that T.J. merely had a Grade 2 MCL sprain, the best-case scenario; the rest of the MRI seemed to be OK.

The head coach of the Steelers verified a few days later that the linebacker would not be participating in the playoffs.

It’s important to play without T.J., as Mike Tomlin reiterated on Tuesday. To be quite honest with you, though, we haven’t played with many players this year; this is just another chance for us to deliver a blow to the team.

There will be a committee-based approach. T.J. is unique, thus we had better bolster our performance in other areas.

How Soon Will T.J. Watt Be Back?

Now that T.J. Watt has officially been ruled out of Wild Card Weekend, attention is turning to a possible comeback for him. Additionally, there is a loose timeline available, even though you can never predict how a person’s body will react.

J.J. Watt stated in his post that his brother would need a “few weeks of rest/recovery.

And in a speech on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport offered a viewpoint that was comparable but a little more specific.

It’s an MCL sprain of Grade 2. Actually, it’s better than they originally imagined. The insider said, “They believed Grade 3 based on the initial assessment, but the MRI showed Grade 2.” That injury still takes many weeks to heal. According to what I gather, T.J. Watt’s best-case scenario is two weeks, and then he should wear a brace. As a result, he won’t be playing this week or probably next week. After that, we’ll have to wait and watch if the Steelers and their starting quarterback, Mason Rudolph, make progress.

A Hard Setback for the Steelers

Naturally, it is never ideal to lose a DPOY candidate. But things are made even more difficult by the timing of Watt’s injury.

The Steelers go to Buffalo for their playoff first-round game against Josh Allen and company. The quarterback can perform feats of magic on his day, even though he can also have some unpleasant moments.

Allen is most effective when he attempts to play hero ball and drive the ball down the field, therefore you should ideally apply pressure on him. In fact, the Bengals sent extra rushers after him last season, which caused the Bills’ season to end early.

Watt would be a perfect fit to provide that heat with his 96.5 sacks and 198 quarterback hits throughout his seven professional seasons. The Steelers’ next most prolific sack artist when he isn’t playing is Alex Highsmith, who has seven this season as opposed to Watt’s 19. No Pittsburgh player has more than four after him.

Beyond that, the situation’s clear stakes make the linebacker’s absence all the more crucial. Attempting to ride this ailment out is not an option because a Steelers loss would mean the end of the season.

However, sometimes all it takes for someone to take action is an opportunity. Perhaps another hero in Pittsburgh’s defense is hiding someplace.

We’ll simply have to wait and see what happens at this point.