Legendary defensive end J.J. Watt was gutted by the knee injury suffered by his younger brother, Pittsburgh Steelers star pass rusher T.J. Watt, in Saturday night’s 17–10 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
“No worse feeling. Devastating,” J.J. Watt posted on X.
The injury certainly did not look good but may not be as serious as it initially looked. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Watt is believed to have suffered a Grade 3 MCL sprain, which would likely keep him out multiple weeks if Pittsburgh makes the playoffs.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Watt was lobbying to return to the game, but Pittsburgh’s staff wouldn’t let him, which makes sense given the inclement weather and poor field conditions.
Watt is a favorite to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award after securing his 19th sack of the season on Saturday night. Watt joined his older brother J.J. as the only players in NFL history to have multiple seasons with 19+ sacks in a career.
Pittsburgh, which finished the regular season 10–7, still needs help to secure a playoff spot. After beating Baltimore, the Steelers can crack the postseason field in three different ways: If the Miami Dolphins beat the Buffalo Bills, if the Jacksonville Jaguars lose to the Tennessee Titans or if the Indianapolis Colts-Houston Texans clash ends in a tie.
