PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers winced and held their breath when star linebacker TJ Watt went down against the Philadelphia Eagles. Near the end of their fourth loss of the season, and after Watt dominated throughout the game, an ankle injury appeared to spell the possible end to the Steelers’ season and their Super Bowl hopes.

After the game, the Steelers star downplayed any major concerns. He told reporters that X-rays of his ankle came back negative and that he rolled it during the game, causing it to be injured. It’s a big sigh of relief for this team. They have overcome multiple injuries at every position this year, but the possibility of losing their defensive heart and soul would have been an insurmountable loss. That’s why the Steelers need to be careful with the former Defensive Player of the Year.

The Steelers have three brutal matchups left in 2024: The Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals are waiting to defeat the AFC North leaders. The NFL is neck-and-neck. Maintain your dominance in the league and Pittsburgh will not give in to the challenge of these teams.

It could make Watt, head coach Mike Tomlin and the entire team want him in the lineup as he goes to war with his teammates. After all, every NFL player does this on a weekly basis. Watt has likely played through injuries before. But if his ankle isn’t 100% healthy for any of these games, he should sit on the sidelines. Do the Steelers need him to win these games down the stretch? Yes, but they need Watt the most once the postseason begins. Without the best player available in Week 16 or 18, this team could pull out a win over the Ravens or Bengals, but the Steelers have little chance of winning a Lombardi Trophy if Watt doesn’t play every playoff game.

It should be an easy decision for Tomlin and the Steelers’ training staff to manage Watt for the next few weeks and reevaluate. The team needs to be as healthy as possible for the playoffs, and that means going against their instincts and being overly cautious.

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