The Pittsburgh Steelers playoff odds improved significantly on Saturday night with a victory over the Baltimore Ravens. While the Steelers are one step closer to sneaking into the playoffs as a Wild Card team, it appears the win came at a significant cost.
Watt, an NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate, suffered a knee injury in the third quarter against Baltimore. He required some assistance into the locker room and Pittsburgh wasted little time ruling him out for the remainder of the game.
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Defeating the Ravens on Saturday meant Pittsburgh has a strong chance of making the playoffs. The only scenario in which the Steelers don’t sneak into the playoffs is if the Buffalo Bills lose to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday Night Football and the Jacksonville Jaguars lose to the Tennessee Titans.
The good news for Pittsburgh and head coach Mike Tomlin is that there is now a clearer path to making it into the postseason. However, even if they do make it in, there’s a chance Watt won’t be out there for a while.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Steelers’ initial belief is that Watt suffered a Grade 3 MCL sprain. if the diagnosis is confirmed by MRI, the All-Pro edge rusher is looking at a multi-week issue.
- T.J. Watt contract: $29.368 million cap hit in 2023, $30.418 million cap hit in 2024, $30.418 million cap charge in 2025
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted, Watt wanted to play through the injury. For his safety, the Steelers’ medical staff held him out and it would be difficult for Watt to play with a Grade 3 MCL sprain just a week after suffering the injury.
Considering how much the Steelers’ secondary has struggled in coverage when Watt and edge rusher Alex Highsmith weren’t creating pressure, even a short-term absence would be devastating for Pittsburgh’s defense. If either the Jaguars or Bills lose on Sunday, expect Pittsburgh to provide an update on Watt’s status leading up to the Wild Card round next weekend.
