T.J. Watt injury opens the door for other Steelers outside linebackers
By Tommy Jaggi
It’s never a good sign to hear that a star player has a hamstring issue, but T.J. Watt’s misfortune could open the door for other Steelers edge defenders.
It was reported Thursday afternoon that Steelers star pass rusher, T.J. Watt experienced a hamstring issue following a run test.
Before the first official training camp practice even began, Watt pulled up lame. Here is what some of the reports had to say:
After experiencing tightness in his left hamstring following today's run test, the #Steelers have placed T.J. Watt on Active/PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) List to start #SteelersCamp.
— Missi Matthews (@missi_matthews) July 25, 2019
Steelers place T.J. Watt (hamstring) on the Physically Unable to Perform list after he complained of soreness after the conditioning test. Coach Mike Tomlin said he could be lifted off PUP soon. Team being cautious.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 25, 2019
T.J. Watt was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list, and is expected to miss at least several practices to be begin training camp.
Though Watt won’t be suiting up with his team to start camp, his injury opens the door for other outside linebackers to take more reps in practice.
One of those players that the coaching staff will have their eyes on closely is former undrafted free agent, Ola Adeniyi.
The second year player out of Toledo was unbelievable during preseason last year. His combination of strength and pass rush moves (along with wearing number 92) caused people to draw ‘James Harrison’ comparisons.
Though it’s not fair to expect so much from Ola, he every-bit looked the part for the Steelers last preseason – compiling 3.0 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in limited action. Ola suffered a hamstring injury late in preseason that landed him on IR last year.
A few other players who could stand to benefit from T.J. Watt’s absence include Tuzar Skipper, Robert Spillane, and J.T. Jones. None of the three edge defenders were drafted, and they have no combined NFL game experience.
Though Ola Adeniyi is the clear favorite to make the roster as the Steelers 4th outside linebacker, the other three players will be battling it out for seeding and a shot at the practice squad. If one of them stands out enough, perhaps they could land on an NFL roster somewhere.
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T.J. Watt is expected to return in the near future. In the meantime, let’s keep a close eye on Ola Adeniyi and the players behind him on the depth chart. Perhaps they will have a chance to shine.