Heading into the 2018 season, there was plenty of questions about what Houston Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt could bring to the table at this stage of his career after coming off yet another major injury.

This had led to the notion that his best days on the field may be beyond him, which is something that he has used to fuel his strong comeback, according to Aaron Reiss of The Athletic.

“Everybody told me I was washed up,” Watt said. “Some people didn’t think I could get seven sacks for the season.”

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It is something that has helped drive Watt to get back to playing at an elite level as he's currently tied for second in the league with 8.0 sacks through the first eight weeks of the season. He is currently on pace to post 16.0 sacks, which would mark the fifth time in his career that he has registered double-digit sacks and the fourth time that it will be beyond 15.0 in a single campaign.

J.J. Watt has clearly proven to be past the injury problems that previously plagued him as he's back to performing like one of the best defensive players in the league. He has helped anchor the Texans defense that played a part in the team pushing forward with a five-game win streak that has them in full control of the AFC South standings.

The 29-year-old is also in the position to possibly be in the running to earn his fourth NFL Defensive Player of the Year award along with Comeback Player of the Year award. It has been a remarkable push forward for Watt, who has had to push through some difficult stretches with injuries over the last couple of years. All of this has been a credit to his dedication to his craft and his work ethic that has put him back to playing at an elite level once again.