The Pittsburgh Steelers have seemingly avoided a nearly heartbreaking injury. While star edge rusher TJ Watt will still miss a few weeks, including this week against the New England Patriots, it's far better than the initial diagnosis.
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After injuring his pectoral muscle in Week 1, many believed that it was a full tear and Watt would miss the rest of the season. Since then, some more encouraging reports have come in on the University of Wisconsin product. Head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed those recent reports in his press conference on Tuesday, stating that Watt will not miss the rest of the season.
— TJ Watt (@_TJWatt) September 13, 2022
He specifically ruled him out for Week 2, but didn't rule him out for any games beyond this weekend. When asked if they are no longer looking at the worst-case scenario, Tomlin had this to say:
"That does suggest that, yes."
Short and sweet. That's incredibly encouraging news though, as the team should only lose him for a handful of games, at most. Now, the team will rely on Malik Reed and Jamir Jones as the "lead" guys to fill in for Watt, as Tomlin mentioned. The team worked out Ryan Anderson on Tuesday, who last played in the NFL in 2020. Whether it's him or someone else, the team will likely bring in another edge rusher.
Credit: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers
Yinz, how encouraging is this news? Who do you expect to step up in Watt's absence? Should they still sign a key free agent edge rusher? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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