Steelers Injury Report: T.J. Watt groin injury dampens stellar start to NFL career

The Pittsburgh Steelers were victorious in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, and despite being 2-0, the team suffered some injuries throughout the contest. None larger than the groin injury to their first round pick T.J. Watt.

Watt, who started the game where he left off in Week 1, departed the game with a groin injury which was first left his return categorized as questionable; however, after failing to return to the game to start the second half the team announced he will be out for the remainder of the game.

Another early injury was Jesse James. After the first play from scrimmage James left the game with an ankle injury, but was able to return to the game and finish the contest with 4 catches for 27 yards.

On top of the pulls and sprains previously mentioned, the Steelers were also dealing with some heat-related issues. Tackle Marcus Gilbert left the game with heat-related cramps, and didn’t return to the game. His fellow offensive tackle, Alejandro Villanueva, was in and out of the game with dehydration, but this was largely due to dealing with an illness the past few days, per Mike Tomlin in his post-game press conference.

When Watt left the game, it was Anthony Chickillo who came in to compete opposite Bud Dupree. As for the tackles, Chris Hubbard was the recipient of a lot of playing time in Week 2. He was deployed as an extra tight end, spelled Villanueva and spelled Gilbert when he was out of the game.

Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest on these injuries, and other story lines surrounding the black and gold, as the team prepares for the Chicago Bears in Week 3.