Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt signaled he’ll return to the field sooner than later with his Terminator “I’ll be back” tweet on Tuesday.
And head coach Mike Tomlin said in his Tuesday press conference that Pittsburgh is “probably in a lot better place than we were after the game” when it comes to Watt’s outlook for the rest of the season.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport has shed some light on why that is. According to Rapoport, though Watt suffered a torn pectoral muscle, he did not tear the tendon. That’s why Watt could return with about six weeks of rehab and no surgery.
With that timeline, Watt is a candidate for injured reserve to free up a roster spot. Going on IR requires a four-week stint. But teams are able to bring back up to eight players from the list over the course of the season.
Watt had three tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception during the Steelers’ Week One win over the Bengals. He suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter.
