Steelers star pass rusher TJ Watt to miss wild card playoff game

The Pittsburgh Steelers clinched a playoff spot in the final week of the regular season, but it came at a cost.

T.J. Watt landed awkwardly during their game Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens – he left the game and never returned.

Pittsburgh won, but had to wait until the Jacksonville Jaguars loss on Sunday afternoon to officially make the postseason.

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 T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates a sack in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Acrisure Stadium on November 02, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

After the Buffalo Bills won the AFC East later Sunday night, Pittsburgh found out their fate – they’d head to northwest New York as huge underdogs.

Well, their tough battle just got even tougher.

His older brother, J.J., revealed on X, formerly Twitter, that the “best case” scenario was a Grade 2 MCL sprain, and he would need a “couple weeks” of rest and recovery.

That injury has led the Steelers to announce he will not play in Sunday’s wild card playoff game in Buffalo.

T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is looked at by medical staff after an injury during the second half of a game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 06, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.  (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

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“Playing without T.J. is significant. But, we’ve played without a lot of people this year,” head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday, via Yahoo Sports. “This is another opportunity to strike a blow for team.”

Watt led the league with 19.0 sacks, becoming the first player in NFL history to have the most sacks three separate times – he also led in 2020 and 2021.

He will probably finish in the top-three of Defensive Player of the Year voting again – he finished third in 2019, second in 2020, and won it in 2021. Watt played in just 10 games last season but was still named a Pro Bowler.

T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers sacks ra10 during the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Watt made his sixth-consecutive Pro Bowl this season, beating his older brother’s five.

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