Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt is believed to have suffered a sprained MCL during his team’s win over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday afternoon, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Watt left the game in the third quarter after he collided with Ravens wide receiver Montravius Adams. He logged eight tackles and two sacks before exiting.
The good news is that Watt did not tear his ACL, but if the Steelers end up making the playoffs (they need some help), Watt will almost surely not be available.
Watt ends his regular season with 68 tackles, 19 sacks, an interception, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, eight passes defended and a defensive touchdown. He was named a Pro Bowler earlier this week.
There is still a day of football left, but he currently leads the league in sacks and is one of the top candidates for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Watt, who played his collegiate football at the University of Wisconsin, was selected by the Steelers with the 30th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign, registering 54 tackles, seven sacks, a pick and a forced fumble. Then, the following year, Watt broke out, racking up 68 tackles, 13 sacks and six forced fumbles en route to his first of six consecutive Pro Bowl selections.
Watt was even better in his third season, rattling off 55 tackles, 14.5 sacks, a pair of interceptions, eight forced fumbles, four forced fumbles and seven passes defended.
The 29-year-old proceeded to lead the league in sacks in 2020 and 2021, winning Defensive Player of the Year in the latter campaign. That season, he tied Michael Strahan’s single-season record with 22.5 sacks.
Injuries limited T.J. Watt to just 10 games last year. During that time, he posted 39 tackles and 5.5 sacks.
Pittsburgh concludes its regular season with a record of 9-8, marking its 21st straight campaign without a losing record. The clearest path to a playoff appearance for the Steelers is with a loss by either the Buffalo Bills or Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
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