J.J. Watt uncertain when he will return from injury for Texans
Tuesday 2 August 2016 16:18, UK
Houston Texans star J.J. Watt admits he cannot put a date on his return from recent back surgery.
Watt, the AP's Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015, had surgery on July 20 to repair a herniated disk in his back.
"I can't put a solid start date on when I can play," admitted Watt, who has never missed a regular-season game in his first five seasons with the Texans. "I don't plan on missing my first game, but I can't promise it."
Watt's recovery time has been estimated from anywhere to six to ten weeks but Texans head coach Bill O'Brien said on Sunday his star player is "on the right track".
A six-week recovery for Watt would see him return to the field on August 31 and give him time to prepare for the Texans regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears on September 11.
A ten-week period on the sidelines would bring Watt up to September 28 and would mean he would miss games against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 18 and the New England Patriots on September 22.
Houston play the Patriots on a Thursday night and then have ten days rest before taking on the Tennessee Titans on October 2.
Watt suffered the injury last season but still played in all 16 games as he led the NFL in sacks with 17.5.
The 27-year-old expected to recover over the off-season but was forced to undergo an MRI when the problem continued to flare up.
"It's one of those phone calls you don't want to get but it is going to be the best for me in the long run," Watt said.
"It was one of those things where I am glad we found it because if we didn't it could have been a whole lot worse. The fact we are getting it taken of now and I am going to be healthy for the season - that is matters the most."
In addition to the herniated disk, Watt also played with a broken hand and a torn groin during the 2015 season. He also underwent surgery to fix the groin issue earlier this off-season.
"Obviously it has been the roughest year of my career, there is no question, but that is something that comes along with playing in the NFL," Watt said.
"You're going to put your body through the ringer. You're going to go out, you're going to play hurt - that is just the way it goes in the league.
"I am doing everything I can to protect my body and I think the older that I get the more I realise you have to be smart in the way you do things and I have to be conscious of my body but I am always going to push myself to the limit."
