Report: Steelers' Watt suffered grade 2 MCL sprain
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost star linebacker T.J. Watt to a knee injury in the third quarter of Saturday's 17-10 victory against the Baltimore Ravens.
An MRI revealed that Watt suffered a grade 2 MCL sprain, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Sunday. The ailment is considered a multi-week injury, Rapoport adds.
Watt went down after colliding with a teammate. He walked to the locker room and was officially ruled out minutes later.
#Steelers OLB TJ Watt suffered a knee injury and will NOT return to tonight's game.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 6, 2024
This was the play:pic.twitter.com/6uqvhlEmmN
The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year racked up two sacks before exiting. Watt, who's led the NFL in sacks twice over his career, tops the league again with 19 sacks this season.
Pittsburgh entered Week 18 on the outside of the AFC's wild-card race. With the win, the team now needs a Buffalo Bills loss, a Jacksonville Jaguars loss, or a tie in Saturday's game between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts to advance to the playoffs. The Bills and Jaguars play the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans, respectively, on Sunday.
The Ravens had already clinched the conference's No. 1 seed and rested several starters, including MVP favorite Lamar Jackson.