Former star NFL defensive end JJ Watt has won plenty of praise for his analysis in his debut season on CBS’ The NFL Today. And he’s also pulled off some surprising newsbreaks.
In November, Watt beat the usual cast of insiders to the news of his former teammate Zach Ertz retiring. And Sunday, first on Twitter and then on TV, he broke the news that his brother (Pittsburgh Steelers’ star defensive end TJ Watt) has only a grade 2 MCL sprain from the injury he took in Saturday’s win over the Baltimore Ravens, not a tear:
Best case scenario for TJ.
Grade 2 MCL sprain.
Everything else looks pristine.Couple weeks of rest/recovery.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 7, 2024
https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS/status/1744042991231144413
That’s notable and somewhat surprising. The surprise comes considering how NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported only hours earlier on NFL GameDay Morning that this was a grade 3 sprain, and that coaches feared a tear:
From @NFLGameDay: #Steelers star TJ Watt is believed to have suffered a torn MCL, pending further tests. Bad news if Pittsburgh makes the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/mR6XdPBy0L
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 7, 2024
The 10-7 Steelers are currently in the seventh and final AFC playoff spot following their 17-10 win over the Ravens Saturday. But Pittsburgh needs help elsewhere in Sunday’s games to make the postseason, requiring a loss from the Buffalo Bills (against the Miami Dolphins) or a loss or tie from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Even if the Steelers do get in, it’s unlikely that Watt (who has 19 sacks and 68 total tackles this season) will be available for them in their first game. And they haven’t been overly impressive recently even with him. But if they do somehow manage to go on a postseason run, this news means there is at least the chance he could rejoin them this year. And it’s interesting to see that news broken by his brother, who continues to add to his analysis value with news reporting value.
About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.