With a victory against their AFC North division opponent Ravens in Week 18, the Steelers managed to sneak into the 2024 NFL playoffs, but in the process, they lost their most potent defensive player.
Star edge rusher T.J. Watt is questionable for the postseason after suffering a knee injury in the win.
This season, Watt was once again one of the finest defensive players in the NFL and is a strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, along with other elite pass-rushers like Micah Parsons of the Cowboys and Myles Garrett of the Browns.
Watt became the first player in NFL history to lead the league in sacks three times as he concluded the 2023 season with an NFL-best 19.0 sack total. In 20 and 21, he also had the most sacks in the league.
As the Steelers prepare for a first-round matchup against the Bills on Sunday, Jan. 14, would they be without their three-time All-Pro edge rusher? The most recent updates are provided here by Sporting News.
Does T.J. Watt play today against the Bills?
No, Watt will not play in the Steelers’ AFC wild-card game against the Bills on Sunday.
For Pittsburgh, which is 1-10 in the games that Watt hasn’t played since being selected in the 2017 draft, this is a major setback.
Tomlin said to the reporters on Tuesday, “Obviously, it’s important to play without T.J., but to be really honest with you, we’ve played without a lot of people this year.”
It’s just another chance for us to deliver a blow to the concept of team and show what it truly means—a group of people who collaborate to achieve a goal. In terms of replacing T.J., it won’t be a one-man task… It’s going to be a by committee, just like I stood in front of you and said similar things when Cameron Heyward missed a stretch of games.
T.J. is unique, so we should improve our productivity in other areas, but that’s just it. It involves a component of attrition. It’s the best team game because of this.
Update on T.J. Watt’s knee injury
According to his brother, J.J., Watt was diagnosed with a Grade 2 MCL sprain and will need a “couple weeks of rest/recovery.”
Given the wide “couple weeks” window, Watt’s comeback might not be possible until the Steelers make it all the way to the AFC Championship Game.
Pittsburgh would play the top-seeded Ravens at Baltimore the following weekend in the AFC divisional playoff if it were to defeat Buffalo.
T.J. Watt’s 2023 stats
As was already established, this season marked Watt’s third career-high sack total in the NFL. In addition to recording his first career fumble recovery for a touchdown, he tied his career high in combined tackles.
Watt’s 2023 statistics are provided below.
17 games were played.
19.0 sacks and 68 tackles in total
48 individual stops; 19 tackles for a loss
36 quarterback hits, 4 forced fumbles
Three fumbles were recovered.
1 interception, 1 fumble recovery for a touchdown
Defended eight passes
