PITTSBURGH — T.J. Watt remains optimistic that his recent ankle injury will not sideline him as the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare to compete against the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North title on Saturday. The accomplished outside linebacker was fully engaged during Thursday’s practice, indicating he is on track to participate in the matchup where the Steelers (10-4) aim to complete a season sweep against the Ravens (9-5) while also securing their first division championship since 2020. Interestingly, the Steelers did not classify Watt with any injury status in their release ahead of the game.
“Of course, the week is short, but I’m feeling quite good,” Watt expressed.
The All-Pro athlete tweaked his left ankle late in the fourth quarter during a 27-13 defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The injury occurred while he was pursuing Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts when his left foot awkwardly bent beneath him with about four minutes remaining in the game.
After the incident, Watt was reserved, saying he was in “wait and see” mode regarding his status, but he appeared positive during talks on Thursday, just under two days before the pivotal match within a demanding 11-day stretch where the Steelers will play three different games.
“In a week this abbreviated, there’s not much you can do in practice to really test the ankle,” Watt noted. “I’ll see how it feels on Saturday, but currently, I’m feeling pretty good.”
The Steelers are certainly eager to have him on the field, as history shows they have struggled without him. During his eight years with the team, they have a disappointing record of 1-10 in games where Watt has been unavailable.
Watt acknowledged the universal challenge many players face at this stage of the season, stating, “At this point in the year, everyone is managing their own issues, so if I can play, I’ll play, and we’ll see how it goes from there.”
Although the Steelers are accustomed to navigating the demanding NFL schedule—playing with just five days of rest instead of the standard six due to their Christmas Day matchup against Kansas City—Watt refrained from expressing frustration over the timing of his injury.
“I believe others are going through similar situations,” said Watt, pointing out that the Ravens, Chiefs, and Texans all face a similar schedule of games on Saturday and again on Christmas. “But like I mentioned… I don’t think it’s worth pondering on.”
While Watt’s presence appears likely as he dons the No. 90 jersey in Baltimore, the Steelers will be missing key players, including wide receiver George Pickens and potentially safety DeShon Elliott.
Pickens will be sidelined for the third consecutive game due to a hamstring injury, and Elliott is expected to miss his second straight contest with a similar issue. Backup quarterback Justin Fields is also out due to an abdominal injury, while cornerback Donte Jackson and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi are both listed as questionable for the game.