Steelers' T.J. Watt: Logs eight tackles vs. Dallas
Rotowire
Watt finished Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Cowboys with eight tackles (seven solo), including 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
With the Cowboys in the red zone, Watt and Nick Herbig combined to sack Dak Prescott on the last play of the first quarter, with Watt forcing the ball out of Prescott's hands, which was jumped on by Herbig. Watt got to Prescott for a second time early in the third quarter, resulting in a seven-yard loss. Watt is now up to 4.5 sacks through the first five games of the regular season, which is ninth-most in the NFL.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Logs another sack
Rotowire
Watt recorded three tackles (three solo), including 1.0 sack, during the Steelers' 20-10 win Sunday versus the Chargers.
Watt brought down Justin Herbert for one of the team's five sacks and now has three total on the season. The one-time Defensive Player of the Year will look to build off this strong performance and increase his sack streak next week against the Colts.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Records another sack Week 2
Rotowire
Watt tallied three tackles (two solo), including 1.0 sacks, and one pass defended during the Steelers' 13-6 win over the Broncos.
Watt has logged sacks in back-to-back games to start the 2024 season. He got to Bo Nix on an eight-yard sack late in the second quarter, and the Broncos turned the ball over on downs two plays later. Watt led the league with 19.0 sacks last season, and he'll look add to his total in Week 3 against the Chargers.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Plays well Week 1
Rotowire
Watt recorded four total tackles (two solo), including 1.0 sacks and an additional tackle for loss, while also recovering a fumble during Sunday's 18-10 win over the Falcons.
Watt was a handful for the Falcons' offensive line, as he logged three quarterback pressures despite recording only 1.0 sack. The 2017 first-round pick out of Wisconsin is looking to build on a dominant 2023 campaign in which he recorded 68 total tackles, including 19.0 sacks, and eight passes defended in 17 regular-season games. Expect Watt to continue wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks as the Steelers travel to Denver in Week 2.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Dealing with MCL sprain
Rotowire
Watt is believed to have suffered a Grade 3 MCL sprain after exiting Saturday's 17-10 win in Baltimore with a left knee injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Watt departed in the third quarter after banging knees with Steelers defensive lineman Montravius Adams. He was able to make his way to the locker room slowly under his own power, but the team still ruled out Watt not long after that point. After notching two sacks Saturday, Watt will finish with 19 on the season to go along with 68 tackles, eight pass breakups, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception over 17 games. Watt is scheduled to undergo further testing to confirm the Grade 3 sprain, but injuries of this sort often entail multi-week recoveries, making it unlikely that he'll be available for the wild-card round of the playoffs if Pittsburgh is able to secure a playoff berth based on how other Week 18 results shake out.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Exits with knee injury Saturday
Rotowire
Watt won't return to Saturday's game at Baltimore due to a left knee injury, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Watt was on the receiving end of friendly fire in the third quarter as Steelers defensive lineman Montravius Adams collided with the former's knee. After remaining on the turf for multiple minutes and also spending time in the sideline tent, Watt slowly made his way to the locker room with Pittsburgh trainers before the team ruled him out. Prior to his exit, he racked up two sacks to push him to 19 on the campaign, marking the second time he's reached that threshold in his career.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Gets two sacks at Indianapolis
Rotowire
Watt recorded three tackles (two solo), including two sacks, in Saturday's 30-13 loss at Indianapolis.
Watt posted his fifth multi-sack game of the season in Week 15, bringing his season total up to 15.0. He should get plenty more opportunities to rush the passer in Week 16 versus the Bengals.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Takes another step in recovery
Rotowire
Watt (concussion) was a full practice participant Wednesday, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.
Watt is making progress in his potential return from a concussion suffered last Thursday in the Steelers' 21-18 loss to the Patriots. With his return to full practice Wednesday, Watt appears to be on the cusp of clearing the five-step concussion protocol, though he'll still need to attain clearance from an independent neurologist before suiting up Saturday against the Colts. The star edge rusher has recorded 52 tackles, 14 sacks, seven pass breakups, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception through 13 appearances this season.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Up to 9.5 sacks
Rotowire
Watt recorded four tackles and a sack in Thursday's 20-16 win over the Titans.
Watt single-handedly ended the Titans' first offensive possession, knocking down a Will Levis pass before sacking him for an eight-yard loss on back-to-back plays. He now has 9.5 sacks across eight games and is on pace to top 20 sacks for the second time in his last three campaigns.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Dislocates finger, tears ligaments
Rotowire
Watt suffered a dislocated finger and multiple torn ligaments in a Week 5 win over the Ravens, but the injury isn't expected to cost him any games, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Watt reportedly popped the finger back into place and kept playing against Baltimore, and the Steelers' Week 6 bye comes at the right time for the star pass rusher. Through five games, Watt leads the league with eight sacks and two forced fumbles, in addition to three fumble recoveries, four pass breakups, seven TFLs and one defensive touchdown.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Racks up three sacks in Week 1
Rotowire
Watt tallied five solo tackles, including three sacks and a tackle for a loss, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass defense during the Steelers' 30-7 loss to the 49ers on Sunday.
The Steelers struggled in many areas during Sunday's regular-season opener, but Watt was a major bright spot for the team. He racked up all three of the team's sacks and forced multiple fumbles for the first time since 2019. Watt's health has been one of his biggest concerns in recent seasons, but if he can remain on the field in 2023, he showed Sunday that he should continue to be one of the league's top defensive contributors.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Another disruptive outing
Rotowire
Watt totaled four tackles (three solo) and one sack during Sunday's 16-13 win over the Ravens.
Two of Watt's four tackles went for a loss, including a 10-yard sack of Tyler Huntley in the third quarter, and the superstar pass rusher also tallied three QB hits. Watt's overall numbers aren't as prolific as previous years due to a seven-game absence earlier in the season due to a pectoral injury, but the 2017 first-round pick is still a premier defender and will look to keep the Steelers' playoff hopes alive with a strong performance against the Browns in Week 18.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Ready to roll Sunday
Rotowire
Watt (ribs) is active for Sunday's game against the Falcons, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.
After stringing together three consecutive limited sessions ahead of the Week 13 matchup in Atlanta due to a ribs issue, Watt has since been cleared for action and should return to his usual starting pass-rushing role Sunday. When the 28-year-old is healthy and on the field, he's one of the league's elites considering he's collected 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four passes defensed, two interceptions and one forced fumble across just four contests played this season.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Optimism about status
Rotowire
Head coach Mike Tomlin is optimistic about Watt (knee) being able to play Sunday against the Saints, Dale Lolley of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Watt was designated to return from IR on Oct. 26, but he was held out of Week 8's loss to the Eagles. However, after a Week 9 bye, it appears Watt is still trending in the right direction and has a chance to play Sunday against the Saints. The potential return of the reigning Defensive Player of the Year will certainly be a boon to the Steelers' defense if he can play.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Won't be activated ahead of Week 8
Rotowire
Watt (knee) won't be activated off injured reserve ahead of Week 8, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Watt was designated to return from IR and returned to practice Wednesday, but he'll remain sidelined for a seventh straight contest while rehabbing from a torn pectoral and arthroscopic knee surgery. The decision not to rush Watt back for Sunday's matchup against the undefeated Eagles makes sense given the Steelers' Week 9 bye. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year's next chance to suit up will come Nov. 13 against the Saints.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Not ruling out Week 8 return
Rotowire
Watt (knee/pectoral) has not ruled out playing Sunday against the Eagles, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Watt has been on injured reserve since Sept. 15, but he has a chance to return in Week 8 against the Eagles. He said Friday that he's "not sure yet" if he will play in the contest, as he wants to see how his body responds to being a participant at practice. It seems unlikely Watt will be able to go versus Philadelphia, but his mindset bodes well for a potential return in Week 10 after the Steelers' bye week.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Designated to return from IR
Rotowire
Pittsburgh designated Watt (knee/pectoral) to return from injured reserve Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Watt returned to practice Wednesday, starting a 21-day window for him to be added to the active roster. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year tore his left pectoral during the season opener and was placed on IR, but he also underwent an arthroscopic knee surgery during his time away, delaying his potential return. Regardless, Watt is nearing the end of his rehab and will start gearing up for game action. Given the extended time he's missed without practicing, Watt appears unlikely to make it back for Sunday's game against the Eagles, and with the Steelers on bye in Week 9, a return to the lineup Week 10 for a Nov. 13 matchup with the Saints looks like the most plausible outcome.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Set to avoid surgery
Rotowire
Watt won't require surgery for his torn left pectoral muscle and is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
After receiving multiple medical opinions on the injury he sustained in the Steelers' Week 1 win over the Bengals, the star linebacker was determined not to have suffered any damage to his pectoral tendon. As a result, Watt will be able to treat his injury through rest and rehab rather than surgery, which would have put him at risk of missing the majority of the season. At this stage, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has ruled out Watt for only the team's Week 2 matchup with the Patriots, but those invested in the 27-year-old in IDP leagues should count on him being sidelined for at least the next four games, barring a very swift recovery. With that in mind, Watt is a likely candidate to get placed on injured reserve in the coming days to afford the Steelers some more roster flexibility in the short term. Malik Reed, whom the Steelers acquired from the Broncos shortly before Week 1, is the favorite to replace Watt as the starter at outside linebacker opposite Alex Highsmith.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Ruled out for Week 2, as expected
Rotowire
While Watt (pectoral) has been ruled out for Week 2, coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he "won't make any commitments beyond that," Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
The star pass rusher is expected to face a recovery time of around six weeks if he doesn't need surgery, and the Steelers seem optimistic that he may have avoided a season-ending pectoral injury. If Watt ends up being placed on IR, it will rule him out a minimum of four contests. In any case, for at least Week 2 versus New England, Malik Reed appears likely to handle an increased role on defense in Watt's stead.
... See More... See Less
Steelers' T.J. Watt: Seeking second and third opinions
Rotowire
Watt (pectoral) will receive second and third medical opinions about his injury Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Watt is pursuing information to inform him between two possible recovery timeframes. If the star pass rusher needs to undergo surgery, it likely will spell the end of his 2022 season, while he could face a mere six-week rehab timetable if he can avoid a procedure. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year's overall impact for Pittsburgh's defense can't be understated, so much will hinge on the results of Watt's consultations Tuesday.
