He's back. Pittsburgh Steelers star edge rusher TJ Watt has officially been activated off the IR. It's a move that was expected to come after the team's bye week, but now it's official. Watt hasn't played since the team's Week 1 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Without him in the lineup, the black and gold have since gone 2-6, missing his presence quite a bit.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
While this was expected, a few tidbits of bad news came out around the same time. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Minkah Fitzpatrick will miss Sunday's game with appendicitis. Additionally, William Jackson III, who was recently acquired in a trade, has been placed on IR. This means he will have to miss at least four games, making Week 14 his earliest possible return date.
We have:
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 12, 2022
• Activated LB T.J. Watt to the active roster
• Downgraded S Minkah Fitzpatrick (appendix) to out for Sunday’s game
• Placed CB Will Jackson on the Reserve/Injured List
• Elevated S Elijah Riley to the Active/Inactive roster @BordasLaw https://t.co/yMqqYQsHrM
According to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jackson is indeed expected to return this season. Thankfully, GM Omar Khan didn't give up much to acquire the corner. Still, this isn't quite what the team envisioned when they acquired the talented corner just over a week ago. Ahkello Witherspoon is also out in Week 10 once again, so the team will have to rely on Levi Wallace and Cam Sutton heavily. Guys like Arthur Maulet and Josh Jackson will likely continue to get plenty of snaps in the coming weeks.
Watt will not be able to repeat his Defensive Player of the Year award this season, but his impact in the Steelers lineup can't be understated. He initially injured his pectoral muscle in that Week 1 win, and then suffered a setback in the recovery process with a knee issue. Watt had to actually have surgery on his knee, thus why it took him so long to return.
Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (#56) rushes the passer against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6 at Acrisure Stadium. Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Perhaps no one benefits from his return that the guy opposite of Watt, Alex Highsmith. Based off his 6.5 sacks, which is tied-for-13th in the NFL through nine weeks of the season, it seems like he dominated with Watt out. Truth is, he disappeared for large portions of games. His performance has specifically dipped a bit over the last month or so, as offensive lines have been able to solely focus on him. Over his last four contests, Highsmith has just one sack.
Besides Highsmith, none of the edge rushers have provided much of a pass rush at all. Malik Reed has just one sack in eight games, as he didn't perform as well as he did with the Denver Broncos. Watt's return will also benefit the back end of this Steelers defense, as the cornerbacks have struggled this season. With a prevalent pass rush now, they won't have to cover nearly as long. With Jackson now out for four weeks as well, Watt's return will help everyone.
What are your thoughts on the team's secondary this weekend without Fitzpatrick, Jackson, and Witherspoon? Did Khan already make a mistake in his acquisition of Jackson? How will the defense do with Watt back? Are you concerned about Jackson's absence? Share your opinions and thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!
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