If watching the Steelers get pulverized by the Eagles and embarrassed in the time-of-possession battle wasn't bad enough, what followed late in the fourth quarter was the last thing we wanted to see.
As Pittsburgh's hope of mounting a comeback was hanging by a thread, T.J. Watt attempted to beat right tackle Lane Johnson off the edge for one last-ditch shot at a game-altering play. Unfortunately, the Steelers star went to the ground in pain, grabbing at his left ankle.
Fans held their breath and we could only think about Pittsburgh's chances of competing in the playoffs going down the tubes if Watt's injury was serious. This team has a record of 1-11 without Watt (including the playoff loss to the Bills last year), and so much of the team's success rests on the future Hall of Famer.
Thankfully, we quickly received encouraging news following the Steelers' 27-13 loss to the Eagles.
The media caught up with Watt in the locker room where the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year and four-time First-Team All-Pro said he rolled his ankle and the X-rays were negative. While this doesn't ensure that Watt will be at full strength for Pittsburgh's next game, this is as good of news as we could have hoped for.
Here’s T.J. Watt on his ankle pic.twitter.com/kwIpLpbDZ0
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) December 16, 2024
Steelers dodged a bullet with T.J. Watt's injury prognosis
Watt was clearly in pain when he went down with the ankle injury, and Mike Tomlin will likely provide an update this week on his status. Unfortunately, the Steelers are forced to turn around and play the Eagles on a short week.
Mike Tomlin's team will be in Baltimore for their Saturday game in Week 16. This doesn't allow much time for Watt to rest and get his ankle back in order before hitting the field again for another critical game.
Even if Watt's ankle injury is as minor as he's claiming it is, the Steelers star will likely be held out of practice this week (with maybe just a limited practice late in the week). Obviously, the Steelers can't afford an injury setback to their best player.
While hardly anything went right against the Eagles in Week 15, Watt was one of the lone bright spots in this game. The DPOY frontrunner recorded a pair of sacks in the first half. Watt also raked the football loose from quarterback Jalen Hurts' hands, which resulted in a takeaway for Pittsburgh.
Sadly, Pittsburgh's offense couldn't capitalize on Watt's big plays in this contest as most of the team had a letdown performance.
All that really matters at this point is that Watt appears to have only a minor ankle injury. The Steelers will have to take it easy with him this week, but his chances of returning to the field in time for Baltimore are looking solid at this point.