Texans DE J.J. Watt Re-Injures Back, Possibly Out For Season

Update:

Mark Berman reports that Texans DE J.J. Watt will visit a specialist to see if his back injury can heal on it’s own or if he requires surgery.

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Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Texans DE J.J. Watt re-injured his back and is expected to be out for an extended period of time. According to Rapoport, it’s possible Watt could miss the rest of the 2016 season.

• Rapoport adds that Watt likely re-injured his back during the team’s loss to the Patriots.
• Dan Graziano reports that Watt is likely to be placed on injured reserve.
• Rapoport mentions that Houston is hoping he’ll be able to return at some point.
• A source tells Adam Schefter that Watt’s back injury “doesn’t look good.”

Watt underwent back surgery for a herniated disc several months ago but was able to return in time for the start of the regular season. However, it was clear that Watt wasn’t 100 percent healthy yet.

Given Watt’s importance to the Texans, it’s fair to wonder if Watt and the team both pushed him to return from a serious injury too soon.

Watt, 27, is in the third year of his eight-year, $108.88 million contract that includes $51.8 million guaranteed. He stands to make a base salary of $10.5 million for the 2016 season.

This season, Watt has appeared in three games and recorded eight tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery for the Texans. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 72 interior defender out of 116 qualifying players.

We’ll have more regarding Watt’s injury as the news is available.