After Steelers defensive end T.J. Watt exited Sunday’s preseason finale against the Lions with a knee injury, his teammate Cam Heyward is calling for changes to league rules on low blocks by offensive linemen.
While Heyward acknowledged that the block from Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson was legal, he thought that the league should address rules on low blocks that he believes is long overdue.
“We’ve done a lot for the offensive players. Where’s the help on defense,” Heyward asked reporters after the game.
Watt’s injury on the block from Hockenson was similar to the block that Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux took from Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss last week. Thibodeaux injured his meniscus on the play and will be sidelined for 3-4 weeks.
Watt’s injury is not believed to be serious, as Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said that if it was a regular season game, Watt would have likely returned.
The team has not released an official statement on the knee injury despite the comments in the postgame press conference from Tomlin.
