The Steelers are concerned that T.J. A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Watt, a defensive MVP candidate, may have suffered a Grade 3 left MCL sprain during Saturday’s decisive 17-10 win against the Ravens pending further testing.
The injury occurred in the third quarter, shortly after Watt secured his second bank of the game. Unfortunately, he landed awkwardly after jumping and collided with teammate Montravius Adams.
Despite Watt’s desire to return to the game, the Steelers decided not to allow him. Watt, visibly frustrated, lay on the wet, muddy turf and pumped his fists after the game as his teammates knelt around him. After a few minutes in the sideline medical tent, Watt, who was able to leave the field under his own power, carefully made his way back to the locker room for further evaluation.
Linebacker Elandon Roberts expressed Watt’s importance to the team, saying, “Obviously, man, T.J. is a big part of not only our defense, but our team. Great leader and great guy on and off the field. I hope so . not that bad … from our team’s perspective, we really don’t want to see T.J. go down. Up to that point, Watt had an impressive performance with two sacks and a tackle for loss, bringing his season total to 19.
He leads the NFL in sacks and is the second player in league history to have multiple seasons with at least 19 sacks. , following his older brother J.J. Coach Mike Tomlin expressed his disappointment but remained optimistic about the severity of Watt’s injury, saying, “I’ll probably get more information the next time we meet. Obviously disappointed about that, but there are challenges in football, there are challenges in life. So we’ll deal with whatever it is. With Watt gone, the Steelers turned to Markus Golden and rookie Nick Herbig against Alex Highsmith.
Golden, who joined the team in free agency, made a key sack of the Ravens. quarterback. Tyler Huntley on the last drive, forcing Baltimore to settle for a field goal.. Golden emphasized the team’s commitment to playing hard for Watt, saying, “I just want to go out there and win the game for my team. Get out and run with T.J. You have to play hard for a guy like him when he goes down, because that’s what he does.
If further tests confirm a Grade 3 MCL sprain and the Steelers make the playoffs, it’s unlikely Watt will be available for the. first round.. This adds to the challenges the team has faced throughout the season with defensive turnover. Defensive captain Cameron Heyward emphasized the collective effort needed to fill Watt’s shoes and acknowledged that several players will have to step up in his absence..