It would really be difficult to envision Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt not on the field for the next several seasons. After all, the guy is currently the best in the business.
Though, following a major back surgery during the offseason, the 27-year-old pass rusher went through a sole-searching period of time in regards to his career.
“When I was in Philadelphia after the first surgery, there were some days there where I really questioned whether or not I’d ever be able to play again,” Watt said, per Sarah Barshop of ESPN. “Just some of the stuff we were dealing with from a rehab standpoint. And just the way that the recovery was going early on.”
Watt had back surgery after the Texans lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild card round of the playoffs.
Per the report, Watt’s surgery consisted of having five muscles repaired and reattached to his lower abs. Plus, he had to have his abductors reattached.
That in and of itself sounds extremely invasive. Per Barshop, Watt had to lay in bed for 10 days before he could even resume any activity. We can imagine the lethargy, helplessness and pain Watt was dealing with during those 10 long days.
Thankfully, Watt responded well to an aggressive rehabilitation process over the next couple of months. He even underwent a second surgery in July to repair a herniated disk.
Watt is on course to suit up in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. Barring any setback, it appears he’s more than ready to make an impact early and often.