The Pittsburgh Steelers placed star outside linebacker T.J. Watt on injured reserve Thursday, meaning he will miss a minimum of four games while recovering from a left pectoral injury.
The Steelers already had ruled Watt out for Sunday’s visit by New England. The NFL’s reigning defensive player of the year sustained the injury in the fourth quarter of last week’s overtime victory against Cincinnati.
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said earlier in the week that Watt’s injury wasn’t as bad as initially feared. Watt received multiple opinions during the week and does not need surgery, which opened the door for him to return at some point this season.