Workout warrior and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, J.J. Watt, is on track to potentially play in Week 1 for the Houston Texans.
The defensive end is at the tail end of his recovery from offseason back surgery to repair a herniated disc. It was previously reported that he’d likely miss the first two games of the season.
Speaking during Sunday’s broadcast, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports revealed Watt has already passed his physical and is raring to get onto the practice field.
“J.J. Watt, he actually lifted on Friday, passed his conditioning test (Sunday),” Glazer said, via CBS Houston. “He wants to practice this week. Head coach Bill O’Brien said, ‘hey let’s slow it down.’
“Anybody else, I don’t think they’d be back week 1. J.J. Watt is not like anybody else. I think there is a very strong chance he does play.”
Based on what we saw recently when he teamed up with The Rock to promote the #22PushupChallenge, Watt is in phenomenal shape right now (watch here).
And based on how Houston’s first-team defense has looked this preseason, adding Watt to the lineup with Wilfork (who looks five years younger), Whitney Mercilus and Jadeveon Clowney should present a nightmare for opposing offenses.
Throw in the emergence of Brock Osweiler, who wowed in Week 3, and the Texans appear to have quite a potent offense-defense combo brewing for the 2016 season.
If Watt is indeed ready to hit the field in Week 1, then Jay Cutler and the hapless Chicago Bears should be very, very worried.