T.J. Watt a full participant in Wednesday’s practice

The Pittsburgh Steelers had their first official practice of Week 1 on Wednesday. With the regular season now officially starting, Steelers All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt was a full participant in preparation to take on the Buffalo Bills this Sunday. This per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor:

Watt had been at every Steelers practice since training camp again in July. Participating in individual drills, Watt continued to work except in the full contact team periods. During that time, Watt was seen doing more individual workouts on the sidelines.

Although the two sides are continuing to negotiate what they hope is a long-term deal which would keep Watt under contract beyond the 2021 season, Wednesday marked the first official day of preparation on the practice field for Week 1 of the regular season. While Watt had not been participating during the preseason, he appears to be part of a game plan as head coach Mike Tomlin expected and stated during his press conference on Tuesday. Exactly how much of the workload Watt will be ready to take on remains to be seen.

As for the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers and their availability during practice, the first injury report of the 2021 NFL season is due to be released later this afternoon. In the meantime, stay tuned to Behind The Steel Curtain for breaking news, injury reports, player updates, and all things Pittsburgh Steelers.