The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't been anywhere near their best in 2022, slumping to a 2-5 record through seven weeks, and while there's plenty of reasons for the struggles, perhaps the biggest is the loss of reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt, who went down with a torn pec muscle in the Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Watt returned to practice in a limited capacity this week, but the team didn't officially activate his 21-day practice, and today, the organization confirmed that they wouldn't, meaning Watt will not be active for the Steelers Week 8 clash against the Philadelphia Eagles. If they fall to 2-6, with the Ravens and Bengals both fighting for first place in the AFC North, the season could be completely over, but if they can somehow find a way to win and get Watt back ahead of Week 9, the season could certainly be turned around.
Through seven weeks, the Steelers defence has been nowhere near as good as they were a year ago, and with star Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick missing game time too with injuries, and if Watt remains out for another few games, we could see the Steelers miss the playoffs entirely, and be out of the race very early.Steelers OLB T.J. Watt — who was designated to return from injured reserve last week, opening a 21-day window for him to make it back to the active roster — was not activated today and is not eligible to play Sunday vs. the Eagles.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2022
Photo Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
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