Pittsburgh Steelers: TJ Watt suffered a horribly gross injury in Week 5
NFL players are probably tougher than you. Pittsburgh Steelers' stud pass rusher TJ Watt suffered one of the more gruesome injuries you'll see in the NFL in Week 5. On a side note, I am truly baffled that the Steelers are currently 3-2 and lead the AFC North. Kenny Pickett hasn't taken much of a step forward and OC Matt Canada is being put through the ringer by the fanbase.
When I get a bee sting, I'm in immense pain, but I can't imagine just how badly this injury hurt Watt when it happened:
#Steelers star T.J. Watt suffered a badly dislocated finger and tore multiple ligaments in Sunday’s win over Baltimore, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 10, 2023
Watt popped it back in and kept playing — and the injury won’t keep the DPOY candidate off the field after this week’s bye. pic.twitter.com/RyG5ZTIbUB
Ewh. The fact that Watt himself apparently popped it back in and kept playing is just the next level of toughness. Through five games, Watt is once again making it hard to not give him the Defensive Player of the Year award. He's got four passes defended, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, eight sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 15 QB hits. And it's just been five games.
He's insane. He's on pace for 27 sacks, yes, 27 sacks, and 51 QB hits, which would each be career-highs for Watt, and the 27 sacks would set the all-time regular-season sack record as well. Watt tied that all-time record back in 2021, and that was also the year he secured his first (and probably not last) DPOY award.
TJ Watt is 29 years old and already has 85.5 sacks in 92 career games played. I think if he retired tomorrow, he'd probably be a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Steelers are 3-2 on the season after a scrappy win against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5. The team is currently on their bye week and will face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7 when they return.
I don't think the Steelers are much of a threat at all, and I'd be truly shocked if they were able to squeak into the playoffs this year, but I guess you never know. They still have games against the Jaguars, Browns, Bengals twice, Seahawks, and Ravens, so there are some tough games remaining on their schedule.
TJ Watt is the engine that keeps their defense going. The team ranks just 17th in the NFL in points allowed, but they are a unit that is incredibly disruptive, and always seem to come through when needed most.