Aside from the excitement of the Houston Texans returning to the postseason for the second straight year, one of the things Texans fans are anticipating is the return of J.J. Watt from injured reserve.
A report surfaced on Dec. 1 that the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year could return from IR after tearing his pectoral muscle on Oct. 27 in a 27-24 win over the Oakland Raiders at NRG Stadium. The Texans would have to qualify for the postseason first.
Coach Bill O’Brien gave an update Monday as to the possibility of the defensive end returning to the lineup.
“I’m going to tell you that J.J. is working very, very hard,” O’Brien said. “He’s certainly made progress based solely on his work ethic and who he is working with in the training room. And we’ll see how it goes.”
Watt collected 24 tackles, 4.0 sacks, four tackles for loss, three pass breakups, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in his eight games before the injury.
The Texans can still activate a player from injured reserve. The possibility is there for Watt to come back, if his body is willing to cooperate.
