T.J. Watt opted out of the Pro Bowl games to give his body some much-needed rest. Here’s why the Pittsburgh Steelers star made the right decision.
Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down for an interview with T.J. Watt. Among many things, I asked the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year about his decision to back out of the Pro Bowl Games and if his health did indeed play a role in that decision.
Watt confirmed to me that he wasn’t quite at full strength in the second half of the season after he returned from his pectoral injury and arthroscopic knee surgery that forced him to miss the first half of the 2022 season. He insisted that his health did influence his decision to back out of the Pro Bowl this year.
“I just needed to let my body rest, more than anything, Watt said during the interview. “It wasn’t a whole bunch of snaps. Not as many as I’m normally used to playing, but my body just needs a rest; it needed a break to kind of let everything settle down before I start training again.”
Over the weekend, the NFL hosted their new-look Pro Bowl Games. After ratings tanked with the Pro Bowl, the league issues a series of mini-competitions capped off by an AFC vs NFC flag football game. While the games themselves were certainly harmless enough, one All-Pro player suffered an injury.
Browns edge defender Myles Garrett sustained a dislocated toe at the Pro Bowl games, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Garrett could be seen limping off the field after running an obstacle course, but before he could make it back to the sidelines, he sat on the turf — clearly in pain.
Steelers could not afford another T.J. Watt setback
While Garrett will no doubt be ready for the start of the 2023 season, a dislocated toe is an injury that typically lingers on for 4-6 weeks. This is something that Cleveland Browns fans obviously didn’t want to see, and it’s a reminder that, even in the Pro Bowl, there’s no guarantee your best players will stay healthy.
This obviously isn’t to say that T.J. Watt would have suffered the same injury had he participated in the Pro Bowl games this year. But for how underwhelming the competitions were, I think we can all join in being pleased that Watt didn’t take part in the festivities this year.
In addition to the pectoral injury and knee scope, Watt dealt with a rib injury for most of the back-half of the season upon his return. In 2021, Watt managed to tie the single-season sack record despite missing two games but was clearly hampered by nagging hip, knee, and groin ailments.
After not seeing him at full strength for a full season since 2020, Pittsburgh Steelers fans should be more concerned about Watt’s health than anything else right now. Let’s hope our best player can avoid the injury bug in 2023.