Pittsburgh Steelers rising star linebacker T.J. Watt is not sweating what could be a 2020 NFL season without fans in attendance.
Per Watt on The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan:
“It'll be ridiculous but it doesn't matter the circumstances, man. If football is being played, we're going to be out there and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be flying around, I guarantee you that …
“I've briefly thought about it, but not too much [playing without fans]. Me? I'm just getting prepared to play football. It doesn't matter if there are fans in the stands or if they're not, obviously it's going to be an adjustment period for all of us. I would love to have fans there, but if they're not there because of safety, safety always comes first when it comes to the players and to the fans so, we're just going to have to adjust and adapt and play as best as we possibly can with the circumstances that we're dealt.”
Watt, 25, the second of his brothers alongside star defensive end J.J. to earn a Pro Bowl selection, had a career-best season with the Steelers during the 2019 campaign. Despite failing to reach the postseason, Watt led Pittsburgh's defensive unit, recording 14.5 sacks, 55 combined tackles and eight forced fumbles in 16 games, turning into the team's centerpiece on that side of the ball.
With training camp coming up at the end of July, NFL franchises will start to pull their many players, coaches, and staffs together, ultimately leading to more contact at a time where COVID-19 is very much still spreading across the United States. As the professional league moves closer to August and September — and the regular season — new rules will be mandated to prevent any potential outbreak of coronavirus.
For the one-time First-Team All Pro Steelers edge rusher Watt, that means adequately adapting to a fan-less environment, even at home at Heinz Field.
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