J.J. Watt Re-Injures Back; Possibly Done for the Year

The news was first reported by NFL media insider Ian Rapoport and, according to his sources, Watt could be done for the rest of this year. It appears that J.J. Watt’s injury occurred last Thursday night during Houston’s loss to the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football.

Watt underwent back surgery on July 21, 2016 to repair a herniated disk forcing him to miss the entire preseason and ending up on the physically unable to perform list to start the 2016 regular season.

According to Rapoport, the Texans are waiting for more news as to Watt’s status and are bracing for the likelihood that his year is done.

Rapoport also reports that the Texans will likely address the Watt injury on Wednesday and place him on injured reserve with the hope that he can return before the 2016 season has ended.

Watt was last injured when he suffered a sports hernia during the Texans’ AFC Wild Card round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He would eventually have to have surgery to repair the groin injury.

The potential loss of Watt is clearly a devastating blow to Houston’s defense who had been looking to make a second run at the playoffs. Watt is the lynchpin to Houston’s defense and the potential impact of the loss of Watt cannot be overstated.

The Texans face some pretty good offenses in the near future (including the Broncos, Bengals, Raiders) and they must have clarity on their biggest star soon.

For Watt, this has to be a huge letdown. It is no secret that he was targeting an NFL record fourth Defensive Player of the Year Award. If his season is indeed over he will have to wait until next year to try to make history.

The Houston Texans host the Tennessee Titans this Sunday. The game kicks off at noon CT and will be televised on CBS.