Texans defensive end J.J. Watt said recently that he feels great as he works his way back from last year’s tibial plateau fracture, but added that he could say anything about his condition because “you won’t know until I hit the field.”
Texans coach Bill O’Brien isn’t worried about how things will go on that front. During a Monday appearance on NFL Network, O’Brien was asked if he has concerns that Watt won’t be the same player he was before missing all but eight of the team’s games over the last two seasons.
“Not at all,” O’Brien said. “When I see him every day, he’s in here early, stays late. He’s doing a lot of great things both on and off the field relative to being able to be back and ready to go. Obviously, we’re not going to rush any of our injured guys. Those guys are right on schedule. J.J.'s doing a great job with his rehab. I see him every single day. I’ve said this time and time again, this is a guy that’s one of the best players to ever play the game. I would never bet against J.J Watt. He’s going to be back, he’s going to be at full strength and he’s going to help us win a lot of games.”
Watt was named the defensive player of the year three times in his first five seasons, which is a pretty high bar to reach after so much time on the shelf. The good news is that there aren’t likely to be too many complaints in Houston if he winds up getting close.