T.J. Watt practiced Wednesday for the first time since his procedure to correct a partially collapsed lung a couple weeks ago. He didn’t speak to the media for the first time yet, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport believes his return to practice is a good sign for this Sunday if he’s needed.
“If he can bounce back today, then I would say he should be good to go for the game,” Rapoport said Thursday on Good Morning Football. “And this really isn’t a football thing. It’s really more of a, he hasn’t done anything for two weeks, how does his body bounce back kind of thing? But the fact that he is practicing is at least a good sign.”
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor said Watt’s practice looked a little different than normal on Wednesday. When he would normally have worked on technique with the outside linebacker group, he remained with the defensive linemen to do more cardio activities.
Mike Tomlin told the media on Tuesday that it was a fair estimation to believe the injury was healed, but it’s more about getting back into shape after two weeks of inactivity. If that’s the only hurdle, it’s pretty safe to assume Watt will be good to go. He is known for his excellent work ethic, so expect him to push as hard as his body will let him.
Hopefully the Steelers don’t actually need him Sunday and he can use the next week or two to get back into football shape. If the Baltimore Ravens lose Saturday evening to the Green Bay Packers or the game ends in a tie, then Watt can rest. Maybe they suit him up for one of the games to get him a series of work, but he otherwise shouldn’t play much.
The fact that he is potentially back after just two weeks is excellent news. Tyrod Taylor’s punctured lung resulted in just over a month of inactivity before he was medically cleared, for comparison.