The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t just drop a Pennsylvania showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. They also lost arguably their best player, with star pass rusher T.J. Watt exiting late in the fourth quarter of the Week 15 contest thanks to an apparent lower-leg injury.
The former Defensive Player of the Year had a busy start to Sunday’s contest, racking up seven tackles, two sacks and a tackle for loss against the Eagles. He limped and then went to the ground with less than five minutes to go, however, and began clutching his left ankle/foot area. Watt then left the field under his own power and received additional attention on the sidelines before walking to the locker room.
The six-time Pro Bowler did not return as the Steelers fell 27-13 in Philadelphia.
With his two sacks Sunday, Watt secured the sixth double-digit sack season of his NFL career. He’s mostly been a model of durability for the Steelers, but missed seven games in 2022 due to pectoral and knee injuries, the latter of which required surgery.