INDIANAPOLIS – Pittsburgh Steelers S Ryan Watts’ rookie year ended before it could really get underway when he suffered a scary neck injury in Pittsburgh’s preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. Watts had surgery after the season, and it seems he has a long road ahead. Speaking to the media ahead of the NFL Combine, Steelers GM Omar Khan said that the team will “see how all that shakes out” regarding Watts’ future.
“We were really excited about Ryan’s progression last year. He just got better and better each week, and it was just unfortunate. He had a significant injury, and we’ll see how all that shakes out. But really disappointed how that ended for him because that young man was really trending in the right direction.”
A sixth-round pick out of Texas, Ryan Watts played both cornerback and safety for the Longhorns but was working at safety for the Steelers. As a rookie, he was expected to be a depth piece and special teams contributor, with the Steelers set at safety with DeShon Elliott and Minkah Fitzpatrick. However, Watts could’ve been in line for a bigger role this season with Damontae Kazee set to be a free agent and not a lot of depth currently at the position.
Given that his surgery occurred after the season, though, it’s a real question whether Ryan Watts will be ready to go for this season, and Khan’s answer didn’t provide a ton of confidence that he will be ready to go. It’s unfortunate, given that Ryan Watts showed some flashes during training camp, and Mike Tomlin praised his ability to communicate, which was a problem for the Steelers’ secondary last season.
Regardless of Ryan Watts’ status, safety is going to be an underrated need for the Steelers, given their lack of depth. The Steelers could look to add to this position in free agency. It’s not a particularly strong safety class in the draft, and adding a veteran who could be relied on if needed is probably the better route to go.
But it’s disappointing that it sounds as if Ryan Watts isn’t going to be ready to contribute. This is really unfortunate for a player whose arrow seemed to be pointing up with the Steelers after looking good in training camp and the preseason. Hopefully, he’ll be able to resume his NFL career sooner rather than later, be it in Pittsburgh or elsewhere.
