The Pittsburgh Steelers have been without defensive star, T.J. Watt since he tore his pectoral muscle at the end of regulation in the team's Week 1 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. There is no doubt that the unit has not been the same without the reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year on the field. He is nearing a return as the organization activated his 21-day window from IR earlier this week.
He has consistently been participating in warmups before games and overall, looks like he is good as new. Will the franchise take the cautious approach or allow him to suit up in the hopes he is fully healthy and the Philadelphia Eagles didn't prepare for him?
Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher, TJ Watt (#90) stretches during 2022 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. | Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO
The team has to be careful in the situation. His brother, JJ Watt had a similar injury as a member of the Houston Texans and it appeared he rushed back to be healthy for their playoff appearance. He has never gone back to his old dominant self and after the amount of money the Steelers just guaranteed T.J., he better be in the greatest shape of his life if he steps on the field Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia.
TJ Watt looks ready @KDKA pic.twitter.com/Ayh1ubgLUD
— Rich Walsh KDKA (@RichieWalsh) October 27, 2022
Mike Tomlin's team had ranked 1st in the NFL in sacks each year since the younger Watt was drafted back in 2017. The group is now ranked dead last, even after a 7-sack performance in Week 1. There is no question the defense is a completely different animal when he is out there. Alex Highsmith has 6.5 sacks (three of which game against the Bengals) while no other player has more than two, including Cameron Heyward who got to the quarterback 10 times a year ago.
Steelers' defensive captain Cameron Heyward gets ready to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Pittsburgh, PA. | Credit: Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers
The team as a whole only had one QB hit on Sunday night against the Miami Dolphins. Any defense is going to take a step back without its best player, but this has been a deep regression that has affected the entire season to this point. A ton of blame belongs on the offense and Matt Canada's incompetency, but the lack of pressuring the quarterback has hurt the secondary aside from the win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It's unlikely that Philadelphia has put together a legitimate game plan that included preparing for Watt and it could be a shocking advantage come Sunday. The organization could activate him from IR on Sunday and leave the sole undefeated team in the NFL with little to no time to put something together. He would be, however, going up against one of the league's best right tackles in Lane Johnson.
The decision to throw Watt out there has to rely solely on his health and not his competitive nature. We all know that he would want to return, but does it make sense with the bye week upon the team? He could have an extra two full weeks of healing for his pec and the knee he recently had a minor procedure on. The Steelers' season is officially in desperation mode, but not deep enough to risk the health of the franchise player.
Would you be concerned if the training staff cleared Watt to play on Sunday against the Eagles? Let us know in the comments below!
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