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Pittsburgh Steelers Release Major Update on T.J. Watt’s Injury Status

The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially placed star linebacker T.J. Watt on injured reserve after he tore a pectoral muscle in the team’s season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. He will miss a minimum of four games during the NFL season.

While the Steelers will be without the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, it’s still better news than previously expected. After Watt suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Week 1, many thought it could be a season-ending situation. That’s not expected to be the case.

Per Yahoo Sports, Watt is expected to miss up to six weeks. As a result of the linebacker’s status, Pittsburgh signed David Anenih to the 53-man roster to fill the void.

Watt had a brilliant day before leaving the season opener with an injury. He tacked up six tackles, three for loss, two pass break-ups, a sack and an interception. The Steelers defeated the Bengals 23-20 in an overtime thriller to start the year 1-0.

Pittsburgh plays its first home game of the 2022 campaign on Sunday, hosting the New England Patriots (0-1). Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. CT and coverage will be on CBS.

T.J. Watt Not Expected to Miss Remainder of 2022 NFL Season

The move to the injured reserve list isn’t exactly great news for T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, it’s better than missing the remainder of the season — an initial thought when the linebacker went down against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Earlier this week, Watt posted a message on Twitter indicating his season wouldn’t end in Cincinnati in Week 1. He shared an image of the Terminator, with the message, “I’ll be back.” At the time, though, it wasn’t known just how long the linebacker would be out.

Watt will miss at least four games and could be out up to six weeks. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than the alternative, that’s for sure.

In 15 games during the 2021 season, Watt piled up 64 tackles and 39 quarterback hits. He finished with 22.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. The linebacker was voted the AP’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Though he’ll be off the field for a few weeks, Watt picked up right where he left off last season.