The Pittsburgh Steelers are smart to take a cautious approach dealing with the pectoral injury 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year, TJ Watt suffered in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers got good news when they were no longer in a "worst-case scenario" and one of the leaders of the their defense would be returning at some point in the 2022 season. The team is potentially protecting Watt from himself by putting him on injured reserve and guaranteeing he must sit out at least four weeks.
During Tuesday's press conference Mike Tomlin didn't offer any updates on Watt's progress. But Watt has continued to work by himself during practice periods on the other fields.
In the second quarter of the Week 4 matchup between the Bengals and Miami Dolphins, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was carted off the field after being sacked by defensive tackle, Josh Tupou. The first thought in everyone's mind was no longer about football. It was about the well-being of the young former University of Alabama signal-caller.
Miami Dolphins quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa is carted off the field after suffering a serious head injury on Thursday Night Football. PHOTO: JEFF MORELAND/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY
Reports that Tagovailoa was able to make the flight back to South Florida after being released from the hospital and suffered no structural damage following initial tests are encouraging after the terrifying scene on Thursday Night Football at Paycor Stadium in Ohio.
Sam Acho spent nine years in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was the Vice President of the NFLPA Executive Committee for four years before becoming an analyst on ESPN. Last Friday morning speaking on Get Up, Acho laid out his thoughts on the injury suffered by Tagovailoa:
"Tua's parents were the ones at his bedside at the hospital. Down the line, it will be his wife and kids. Those are the things that really matter most. Towards the tail end of my career, an injury here and there and I'm not playing as well, my parents would be there at the end of game and they would say 'at least you're healthy.'"
With the news that Tagovailoa is doing relatively well since then, the next question is whether he should've been in the game to begin with. The NFLPA is investigating a potential violation of protocol, though head coach, Mike McDaniel told The Athletic Tagovailoa had cleared all the protocols to play.
If Tua takes the field tonight, it's a massive step back for #concussion care in the NFL.
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) September 29, 2022
If he has a 2nd concussion that destroys his season or career, everyone involved will be sued & should lose their jobs, coaches included. We all saw it, even they must know this isn't right https://t.co/vxpaOif5rh
McDaniel defended putting Tagovailoa in against the Bengals, even though he had been in concussion protocol in the short turnaround after playing the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
“That would be irresponsible in the first place, and I shouldn’t be in this position,” McDaniel added. “I do not have any — absolutely zero — patience for, or will ever put a player in position for them to be in harm’s way. That is not what I’m about at all, and no outcome of a game will ever influence me being irresponsible as the head coach of the football team.”
For the Steelers taking a cautious approach to the injury with Watt is important. Just 11 days after the injury, Watt was in warmup with the team before a game against the Cleveland Browns.
Steelers' Serious Injury of the Past
Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin addressed how he handled a situation with a player with a serious injury begging to get back into the lineup when he joined the Pivot Podcast with former Steelers safety, Ryan Clark. The Steelers safety wanted to play in a Week 7 game at Denver and was clear medically, but Tomlin wouldn't let him play because of Clark's sickle cell condition, a genetic human adaptation that had almost killed the Pro Bowler.
"I've got to lay my head down at night. How can you except unique results without unique relationships, man. It was my job to care about that dude in that moment. Even maybe more so than he cared about himself."
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin on the Pivot Podcast. | YouTube / Pivot Podcast
We all know what kind of a player Watt can be on the field and how important he is to the Steelers success, but as Acho reminds us, there is more to think about than football when a player has a serious injury.
Tomlin outlined back in July that sometimes as a head coach, you're job extends past X's and O's and you have to make decisions to protect the grown men on your team who won't necessarily protect themselves.
Watt is the second highest-paid defensive player in the league and is signed until 2025. The Steelers are in it for the long haul with the University of Wisconsin product. Allowing him to rush back into the lineup before he is ready to go could cause further damage and while as a football fan, it's tough not seeing him out on the field, for Watt, he should take all the time possible.
So, Steeler Nation, do you think the Steelers are doing the right thing with Watt's injury? How do you feel hearing those comments from Tomlin? As always, let us know what you think in the comment section below or on our social media feeds!
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