The Pittsburgh Steelers are apparently faced with another injury issue as fullback Derek Watt has been reported to have a Grade 2 hamstring pull and will miss at least a couple games according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
#Steelers FB Derek Watt suffered a Grade 2 hamstring pull, source said, which means he’ll miss a couple games. The Ultimate Tag host and special teamer left the win over the #Texans early.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 28, 2020
Should Watt miss the Steelers Week 4 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, it will be his first game missed in his five years in the NFL. Watt appeared in all 64 games with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers from 2016 to 2019.
Derek Watt was on pace to play the most offensive snaps he had seen yet with Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday as he had been on the field for seven snaps before leaving in the second quarter. So far in 2020, Watt had only played eight snaps in Week 1 and six snaps in Week 2 on the offensive side of the ball.
Most concerning with the loss of Watt is his play on special teams where he had been playing the majority of snaps through the first two weeks.
Exactly what the Pittsburgh Steelers will do with Derek Watt remains to be seen. With the Reserve/Injured List in 2020 being a minimum of three weeks, the Steelers could choose to put Watt on IR which would keep him out until at least the match up with Baltimore in Week 6. If the Steelers feel Watt could be available before then, he simply may just end up on the 53-man roster and inactive if the injury persists.
As to what the Steelers plan will be moving forward remains to be seen. Watt is the only fullback on the Steelers 53-man roster or practice squad. Whether or not the Steelers look to add a fullback is a question which should be raised to head coach Mike Tomlin on Tuesday in his weekly press conference.
One option the Steelers have on the practice squad is running back Trey Edmunds who lined up at the position several times in 2019. Another option is former Steelers fullback Roosevelt Nix who is not employed by any NFL team at the moment. Nix spent 2020 training camp with the Indianapolis Colts but ultimately did not make the team.
Perhaps there will be some more answers coming from the Steelers on Tuesday from Coach Tomlin. The Steelers did not have a fullback for the majority of the 2019 season when Roosevelt Nix was on injured reserve, so moving forward without the position is still an alternative.
Stay tuned to Behind The Steel Curtain for breaking news, player updates, and all things Pittsburgh Steelers as they prepare to take on the undefeated Tennessee Titans this Sunday.