On the first play of the game Thursday night against the New England Patriots at Acrisure Stadium, star outside linebacker T.J. Watt took a violent shot to the face from the leg of Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott, resulting in him lying on his back after the play, leaving the game due to injury.
Watt was seen on the sideline flexing his jaw, having his mouth looked at following the brutal collision. He seemed to be rather dazed after the play, but ultimately returned to the lineup, later sporting a dark-tinted visor because of some light sensitivity, according to Amazon sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung.
That’s put the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin under the microscope regarding potentially circumventing concussion rules to keep their star defender on the field, especially after Watt landed in concussion protocol Saturday morning.
Speaking to reporters Monday ahead of the Week 15 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, Tomlin stated that he assumes Watt was checked out for a concussion, was told he was available to return — which he ultimately did in the game — and that he was unaware of any change in his visor later in the game.
“I assume that he was [checked for a concussion], but again, I’m managing the game. I leave that to the medical experts,” Tomlin said to reporters, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “They essentially tell me whether someone is out, whether they’re subject to return or whether they’re back.
“I got a report that he was subject to return and then I got a report that he was back. And that was just my knowledge of the details of what transpired with him during the time that he was out in game.”
According to Hartung during the game, Watt spent time with the independent neurological consultant on the sideline and was then ultimately cleared to return to the field.
“Alex Highsmith is still in there. We are told he’s questionable to return because of a neck injury. The unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant is inside the tent with him right now, and it was earlier that we saw T.J. Watt in there, also with the UNC for four minutes, but he’s been back in the game and his helmet now has a tinted visor attached to it,” Hartung said during the game.
So, that clears up the question if he was checked for a concussion during the game.
However, sporting the tinted visor raised additional concerns after Watt was reportedly having light sensitivity issues. That is one key symptom of a concussion, yet Watt was allowed to play the rest of the game, logging 52 total snaps against the Patriots.
“I wasn’t aware of that, to be honest with you, so I don’t have a response to that,” Tomlin said when asked about the visor change. “I wasn’t aware that he changed visors; he normally wears a visor. You mean the tint of his visor was different?
“I wasn’t aware of that.”
Watt doesn’t always wear a visor. He wasn’t sporting one when he took the inadvertent shot to the face Thursday. Watt will wear a dark tinted visor in warmups, but in the game it’s much different. Something very clearly changed there for Watt to wear the visor in-game.
On Saturday, Watt reported concussion-like symptoms, which led to him landing in the protocol. That has raised questions about how the Steelers handled his hard hit on the first play from scrimmage.
He now has this week to be cleared by an independent neurologist before the Steelers take on the Colts in Week 15 on the road. It is a must-win game for the Steelers to stay in the playoff picture.
