Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt has exited the concussion protocol, the team announced in a statement Wednesday night. As tweeted by PR spokesman Burt Lauten, Watt was cleared by an independent neurological consultant.
Watt took a hard hit to the face on the first defensive snap of Thursday’s loss against the New England Patriots. He was examined multiple times on the sideline by team trainers and the league’s UNC in charge of overseeing all concussion protocols. Watt returned and finished the game but wore a tinted visor, suggesting to some he had a sensitivity to the light.
By Saturday morning, Watt was placed in concussion protocol. He practiced on a limited basis Tuesday before participating in full on Wednesday, the latest sign he would be able to play this weekend. Now, he’s officially out of protocol and fully expected to be available when the Steelers take on the Indianapolis Colts this Saturday at 4:30 PM/EST.
Teammate and fellow OLB Alex Highsmith remains in protocol. He practiced in a limited fashion on Tuesday and Wednesday. If he can’t play, either rookie Nick Herbig or veteran Markus Golden will get the nod at ROLB.
The decision to clear Watt and allow him to return to the game has come under scrutiny. Most recently, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio says the NFL and NFLPA need to “aggressively” investigate the situation. But as of now, there’s no evidence the Steelers did anything wrong in their process and examination. The situation is reportedly under review by the NFL and NFLPA, though that is standard procedure for all head injuries.
Watt has played in all 13 of the Steelers games this season, leading the team with 14 sacks. That number ranks second league-wide, only trailing the Los Angeles Chargers’ Khalil Mack, who has 15.
