PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers defense suffered a major blow in their Week 15 game against the Philadelphia Eagles when fullback TJ Watt suffered a left foot/lower leg injury late in the game.

Watt went down after chasing quarterback Jalen Hurts with just under five minutes left in the fourth quarter. He immediately fell to the ground, clutching his foot as trainers ran to examine him. After a brief moment on the field, he was able to walk under his own power and make his way to the blue medical tent with trainers.

If Watt is unable to play forward, the Steelers defense will lose its best player. He recorded two sacks against the Eagles before the injury and had 11.5 sacks this season. The Defensive Player of the Year favorite continued his dominant run in the NFL, but as Pittsburgh pushes for a playoff spot and the AFC North title, Watt could have an injury that makes things even more difficult.

Without Watt, the Steelers will turn to Nick Herbig and Preston Smith to work alongside Alex Highsmith at outside linebacker. Jeremiah Moon is also available as a substitute.

This is a developing story. Steelers On SI will continue to provide details regarding Watt’s injury as more information becomes available.

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