T.J. Watt was having himself another monstrous game for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday when he suddenly went down with a non-contact injury late in the fourth quarter. Rushing Jalen Hurts with the Steelers down two scores, Watt turned the corner on right tackle Lane Johnson before coming up lame and falling to the turf in apparent pain.
The breath was caught in every Yinzer's throat as Watt hobbled off the field and eventually had to head to the locker room, clearly frustrated. The Steelers entered the day with a 10-3 record and could afford to drop one to the Eagles—they could not afford to lose their superstar defender for, really, any amount of time. Fortunately, postgame interviews brought good news from Watt himself on that front.
The former Defensive Player of the Year informed reporters he merely rolled his ankle and his X-rays came back negative for any serious injury.
T.J. Watt just told us he just rolled his ankle. Had an X-ray it came back negative.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) December 16, 2024
That may still mean Watt will have to miss a game or even multiple games, but negative X-rays almost certainly mean he avoided a season-ending situation. Which is all the Steelers care about. After losing to Philly, 27-13, on Sunday the team still sits at 10-4 on the year and lead the AFC North by one game. They clinched a playoff spot even with the day's defeat. With their spot secure, the focus shifts to being healthy for the upcoming postseason run.
The Steelers play two games in the next 10 days, so it may be tough to get Watt back out there for both, even with negative X-rays. But overall a positive sign for the 30-year-old All-Pro.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as T.J. Watt Offered Positive Update on Ankle Injury After Early Exit From Steelers' Loss.
