Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt practiced for the first time in more than two months on Thursday, and the outlook on him is positive.
Watt had no issues stemming from the practice and is trending toward playing on Monday night against the Rams, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
After suffering a serious shoulder injury in the seventh game of the season, Watt appeared unlikely to return even in the playoffs, but he appears close to beating the odds.
If the 32-year-old Watt is at close to 100 percent, he would be a big contributor to the Cardinals’ defense, which faces a big challenge against the Rams.