Mike Tomlin: Steelers will ‘leave light on’ for T.J. Watt

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin isn’t ready to rule T.J. Watt out vs. Chargers just yet.

After T.J. Watt went down in the third quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers game on Sunday, silence fell over the stadium. Players kneeled down around their teammate. Moments later, a collective sigh of relief came when Watt walked off the field under his own power, but there was concern about the extent of his injuries.

Prior to Watt’s MRI on Monday, there was talk of injured reserve. When the test results on his knee and hip came back negative, it became a question of how long it would be until Watt would play again.

By the tone of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, it could be sooner than later.

“I’ll always leave the light on for T.J. Watt,” Tomlin said during his weekly press conference. “The things that he does routinely are not things that are done routinely by others.”

As usual, Tomlin said Watt’s practice participation will dictate whether he plays this week.

The Steelers travel to Los Angeles to take on the 5-3 Chargers on Sunday night.

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