Steelers’ T.J. Watt has Grade 2 MCL sprain, J.J. Watt says
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PITTSBURGH — Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt’s knee injury sustained in the third quarter of Saturday’s win against the Baltimore Ravens is a “best case scenario,” according to brother J.J. Watt.
J.J., who retired after last season, posted an update to his brother’s injury on social media Sunday morning, saying T.J. has a Grade 2 MCL sprain and “everything else looks pristine.” J.J. also added his brother needed a “couple weeks of rest/recovery.”
Pittsburgh’s defensive MVP candidate appeared to suffer the injury when he landed awkwardly from a jump and collided with teammate Montravius Adams.
Though the injury isn’t as severe as initially feared, Watt would almost certainly miss the first round of the playoffs if the Steelers clinch a berth Sunday with a loss or tie by Jacksonville or loss by Buffalo.
On Saturday, rookie Nick Herbig and Markus Golden stepped up to fill in for Watt, and Golden got a sack of quarterback Tyler Huntley to force the Ravens to settle for a field goal on their final drive.
The NFL playoffs’ wild-card round schedule for the 2024 season is stacked with great matchups, and we’ve got you covered with what you need to know heading into the weekend. Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the biggest keys to every game and a bold prediction for each matchup.
Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information provides a big stat to know and a betting nugget for each contest, and our Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a game projection. Analytics writer Seth Walder picks out each matchup’s biggest X factor, Matt Bowen identifies a key game-planning matchup to watch in every game, and Kevin Seifert tells us what to know about the officiating. Finally, Walder and Eric Moody give us final score picks for every game. Everything you want to know is here in one spot to help you get ready for a loaded weekend of NFL playoff football.
Let’s get into the full wild-card slate, including Matthew Stafford’s return to Detroit.