It was a scary moment in the fourth quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15 when OLB T.J. Watt left the game with an ankle injury, but the good news is that it doesn’t appear to be serious. Mike Tomlin described it as a “low-ankle” injury and said he was optimistic that Watt would be available on Saturday. ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin said on Get Up! this morning that Watt is expected to be “ready to go” for the team’s matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.
“I checked in on this, and the expectation I’m told is that he will be ready to go,” she said. “Yesterday was a light day, it was a walkthrough. He did not practice, but I’m told that he does feel better, and he expects to play, so I’m optimistic about it.”
Even if Watt had been healthy, there’s a chance he would’ve gotten a veteran rest day yesterday with practice just being a walkthrough and a short week ahead. Tomlin said on Monday that everyone who’s healthy will play against the Ravens as the Steelers look to win their first AFC North title since 2020, and having their All-Pro EDGE rusher will make life a lot easier for Pittsburgh against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense.
In the first matchup against Baltimore this season, Watt had three total tackles and a sack. OLB Alex Highsmith missed that game with an ankle injury of his own, and if Watt can go on Saturday, it’ll give the Steelers their full complement of pass rushers against Jackson and the Ravens.
This is the direction things have been trending with Watt since after the game on Sunday. He spoke to reporters after the Steelers’ 27-13 loss in Philadelphia, and during Mike Tomlin’s weekly press conference on Monday, he said Watt was walking around comfortably. He wasn’t wearing a walking boot after the game Sunday, and the fact that Watt avoided a high-ankle injury bodes well for him coming back sooner rather than later. It could be as early as Saturday, and Watt will be an integral piece in Pittsburgh’s pursuit of a division crown if he suits up.
