Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt sustained a knee injury in the team’s final preseason game Sunday.
In the second quarter of game, TJ Hockenson of the Detroit Lions nailed Watt with a low cut block to his knee that appeared to injure the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
Seems like this is probably where TJ Watt got banged up pic.twitter.com/rXZ05JzjGO
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) August 28, 2022
Shortly after the play, Watt gingerly walked into the locker room to be evaluated. (RELATED: Seahawks Name Geno Smith Their Starting Quarterback)
If Watt were to miss significant time due to this knee injury, it would spell out bad news for the Steelers. Watt is arguably one of the best players in all of professional football.
The star defenseman has been selected to the NFL Pro Bowl in four straight seasons. According to Pro Football Reference, Watt forced five fumbles, made 64 tackles, and tied Michael Strahan’s record for most quarterback sacks in a year with 22.5, in 2021. To lose him in a meaningless preseason game looks bad on the coaching staff, especially with the regular season being just two weeks away.
Watt is the heart and soul of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, and without him, the odds of the Steelers making it to the playoffs this season, let alone the Super Bowl, will greatly diminish.
