The Pittsburgh Steelers, and their global fan base, were incredibly concerned as they watched their MVP T.J. Watt writhing in pain on the M&T Bank turf Saturday evening. During the team’s 17-10 win over their division rivals, it was “friendly fire” which injured Watt. Montravius Adams, in an attempt to bat down a pass, fell into Watt’s knee, forcing him out of the game.

After the game Mike Tomlin said the injury would need further evaluation, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter cited sources on the injury being an MCL strain.

Sunday, with the Steelers’ playoff hopes in the hands of the Tennessee Titans and/or the Miami Dolphins, a very reliable source delivered the good news on T.J. Watt’s injured knee.

Per T.J.’s brother, J.J., his younger brother suffered an Grad 2 MCL sprain with no further damage to any other ligaments or tendons in the knee. All T.J. will need is some rest to all his body to heal.

Best case scenario for TJ.

Grade 2 MCL sprain.
Everything else looks pristine.

Couple weeks of rest/recovery.

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 7, 2024

If, and that’s a large if, the Steelers make the playoffs, it is unlikely Watt would be able to suit up and play barring a deep postseason push; however, the best-case scenario in this regard is the fact Watt won’t need surgery to repair any damage in the knee. If the injury would have required surgery, even something minor, it would not just end his season, but would push back his offseason timeline to get ready for the 2024 regular season.

Think back to the final game in the 2022-2023 season. Pat Freiermuth exited the game vs. the Cleveland Browns with what looked like a bad knee injury. Thankfully, it didn’t require surgery and Freiermuth didn’t miss any time throughout the offseason. The flip side to that is the injury sustained by Chris Wormley in Week 17 last season in Baltimore. Wormley spent the entire offseason rehabbing the injured knee, and as a free agent had to wait until the season began before he was able to sign on with the Carolina Panthers practice squad in September.

While the Steelers await to see if they make the playoffs, it should comfort Steelers fans the former Defensive Player of the Year won’t have to go under the knife this offseason. Stay tuned to SCN for the latest on the Steelers as they prepare for what lies ahead.