Report: TJ Watt injury not season ending, could be back in six weeks

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a scare on Monday regarding the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. During the win against the Cincinnati Bengals, edge rusher TJ Watt walked off the field injured, claiming he tore his pec. Watt was in fact correct and now, his timeline to return has been revealed.

According to Ian Rapoport, the pec tear for Watt is not considered season-ending due to not needing surgery. Now, he could return to action in “six weeks or so.” A huge boost for Pittsburgh moving forward.

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“#Steelers reigning defensive player of the year TJ Watt is still waiting on more information, but the belief is his pectoral injury will not require surgery and is not season-ending, sources tell me and @TomPelissero,” Rapoport said. “He could be back in six weeks or so.”

Even with the positive news, Watt is still most likely to end up on injured reserve. However, Pelissero said that’s viewed as something good for the Steelers.

“The timeline means T.J. Watt will probably land on injured reserve, though Pittsburgh has not made a move,” said Pelissero. “But a day after facing a dire outlook, there is now optimism one of the NFL’s best players will be back on the field by midseason.”

If the six-week timeline remains true, Watt should be back for the Week 8 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

TJ Watt, Najee Harris receives positive news

Test results on the injury to Steelers running back Najee Harris came back negative Monday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Harris rolled his ankle late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Week 1 win against Cincinnati, but “should be good to go” as Pittsburgh prepares to face the Patriots in Week 2.

The former Alabama star exited with under two minutes remaining in the game after suffering the injury, and limped off the field under his own power. The scare was increased by a recent injury that Harris recovered from over training camp — a Lisfranc injury.

Harris and the Steelers had a rough day in the rushing attack, as the running back totaled only 23 yards on ten carries. Pittsburgh went on to win the game in dramatic fashion by a score of 23-20 in overtime.

Harris will have the next few days to recover before Pittsburgh kicks off against New England at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.