When Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt pre-empted a Sunday Splash! report regarding an episode of atrial fibrillation, some wondered whether his condition had been properly disclosed by the team.
The Cardinals’ online injury report showed only that Watt had a calf injury, which kept him from practicing on Wednesday and Thursday. In fact, the same information appeared both on the Cardinals’ website and the Panthers’ website.
But on the official report that the Cardinals submitted to the league, and that the league distributed to the media, Watt was listed as having both a calf injury and a general “illness.”
It’s unclear why the online reports were incomplete. The official reports submitted to and provided by the league, however, did include the term “illness.”
To the extent that having an abnormal heart rhythm that required his heart to be shocked on Thursday counted as an illness, than it’s an illness. Given the recent events regarding Tua Tagovailoa, it’s hard not to wonder whether the Cardinals stayed vague on the details, so that 345 Park Avenue wouldn’t try to squeeze owner Michael Bidwill to shut Watt down.