After suffering a pectoral injury during Sunday’s 23–20 win over the Bengals, T.J. Watt and the Steelers were hopeful the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year could avoid surgery.
After hearing different medical opinions on Monday, it sounds like Watt will most likely be able to avoid any surgery, which would have ended his season after just one game.
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday that the linebacker could be out around six weeks while recovering from his torn pectoral muscle.
“The belief is this is not going to be surgical, and will not be a season-ending injury for T.J. Watt,” Pelissero said on Good Morning Football. “The exact timeline on his return is going to depend on the healing process.”
Watt is expected to land on the injured reserve list before Sunday’s game vs. the Patriots, meaning he will have to miss at least four games before being eligible to return to the roster.
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