According to Brooke Pryor of ESPN, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt entered concussion protocol Saturday morning.
Watt suffered a head injury when he took a knee to the face in the team's loss to the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football. After the play, Watt went in and out of the l medical tent as the team evaluated his injury.
An independent neurologist must clear Watt if he's to play in the team's game next Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts.
Fellow Steelers' linebacker Alex Highsmith entered concussion protocol Friday afternoon. Highsmith was injured early in the second quarter after being involved in a tackle of Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliot.
The 7-6 Steelers are currently on the outside looking in of the AFC playoff picture, trailing 7-5 Houston for the seventh and final postseason spot.
Injuries to Watt and Highsmith could be a devastating blow to the team's playoff run.
“Let's be honest. T.J. is the best defensive player on the planet right now. And he proves that week in and week out with the plays that he delivers us,” Tomlin told reporters in late November. “Not only for the defense but for our football team.”
The Steelers selected 29-year-old Watt with the 30th pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. He was NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. In addition to five Pro Bowl Selections, he is also a three-time first-team All-Pro.
He is the younger brother of three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and former Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals star linebacker JJ Watt.
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