TJ Watt Injury Report: Steelers Add One Of The Best Defensive Players In The League To IR Because Of Dodgy Heel

T.J. Watt, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ leading passer, suffered heel injury and did not practice Thursday.

This comes after he fully participated in Wednesday’s training session. The Steelers will face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

He has dislocated his finger and has torn a ligament in one finger, though that won’t keep him out of the lineup.

Watt has been a relief for the Steelers thus far with 15 total tackles, eight sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and four passes defensed.

Despite a bye week, the Pittsburgh Steelers still have to monitor some injuries ahead of Sunday’s game against the Rams.

The team’s most significant injury was to outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who suffered a heel injury that kept him out of practice Thursday.

To make matters worse, rookie defenseman Nick Herbig (Alex Highsmith’s backup) was limited Thursday due to a quad injury.

That leaves Highsmith and linebacker Markus Golden as Pittsburgh’s only healthy outside linebackers.

If Watt can’t face the Rams, it would be a significant loss for the Steelers, who are 1-10 in games where the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year doesn’t play. Pittsburgh was 1-6 in games Watt missed last season and 8-2 in games with Watt in the lineup.

Watt’s impact is quite evident as he is one of the most influential defensive players in the NFL. The five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro led the NFL in sacks in 2020 and 2021 and currently leads the league with eight sacks in six weeks.

Watt, who just turned 29, also has six career interceptions, 25 forced fumbles and 10 fumble recoveries.

He and Highsmith each scored a touchdown in Pittsburgh’s first win of the season, a Week 2 victory over the Browns.

Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and tight end Pat Freiermuth were two other notable names to appear on Pittsburgh’s injury report on Thursday.

Moore was a full participant after being inactive for the Steelers’ Week 5 win over Baltimore due to a knee injury.

Freiermuth, who also did not play against the Ravens, was limited in practice Thursday as he continued to work on a hamstring injury.

The Steelers are expected to count on the return of former Pro Bowl selection Diontae Johnson against the Rams on Sunday.

Johnson, who has participated in full practice the past two days, has not played since suffering a hamstring injury in the Steelers’ season-opening loss to the 49ers.

The Steelers enter this game against the Rams with a 3-2 record, which puts them second in the AFC North behind the Baltimore Ravens.

The kick-off will be at 4:05 p.m. ET and it will be televised regionally by Fox.