Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt does not hold any resentment against Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson after Pittsburgh's 19-9 victory against Detroit in its preseason finale on Sunday.
The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year left Sunday’s game early after taking a low block from Hockenson during the first play of the Lions fourth drive, resulting in a knee injury for Watt. Instead of having ill feelings, Watt plans to find a solution to dealing with blocks of that nature.
“Obviously it's being taught cause it's a legal move,” Watt told reporters, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “So I don't really have any grudge against, I just have to figure out how to handle it better.”
While Watt mentioned that he could potentially hurdle a guy to prevent injuries from low blocks, that option becomes a problem if his opposition does not go low. In Watt’s injury, he recalled making “eye contact” with Hockenson for nearly a yard before using what he described as a “split second” to brace for impact. But in that moment, Hockenson went low on the block.
Despite Watt being ruled out for the game, it appears that the injury was not serious. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin previously stated that if the injury would have happened during a regular season game, Watt would have likely returned.
However, Watt’s injury added to the highly discussed conversation regarding the NFL’s low block policy. Before Watt’s injury, Giants rookie defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux suffered a sprained MCL on a cut block from Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss in a preseason game on Aug. 21. Thibodeaux injured his meniscus on the play and will be sidelined for 3-4 weeks.
Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward criticized the league a day after Watt’s injury, saying the NFL should address rules on low blocks made by offensive linemen and the injuries they have caused defensive players.
“We’ve done a lot for the offensive players. Where’s the help on defense,” Heyward asked reporters after the game.
As of now, all signs point to Watt playing in the Steelers season opener on the road against the Bengals on Sept. 11.
