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Brooke Pryor, ESPN writer
PITTSBURGH — Steelers top pass rusher TJ Watt, who injured his ankle late against the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday, was noncommittal about his status for Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, but said he felt “pretty good.” good” this week.
“We’ll see on Sunday, or Saturday, I guess, but I felt pretty good this week,” Watt said Thursday. “It’s obviously a short week, but I felt pretty good.”
Watt exited the Week 15 loss to the Eagles with five minutes left after spraining his ankle. He didn’t participate in Tuesday’s ride, but was promoted to a limited participant on Wednesday and appeared to work even harder on Thursday.
“There’s not a lot of things you do in practice in a short week like this to push him, so I want to see how he feels on Saturday,” Watt said. “But I feel pretty good now.”
Watt is one of several starters whose status is in question for Saturday. Safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring) missed the Eagles game and did not practice Tuesday or Wednesday, while cornerback Donte Jackson emerged from the Week 15 loss with a back injury and also did not practice. Tuesday or Wednesday.
Wide receiver George Pickens (hamstring) missed his second straight game against the Eagles and did not practice Tuesday and Wednesday. Pickens worked on the side Thursday, including several sprints across the width of the field. Quarterback Justin Fields (abdomen) also has not practiced this week.
Although not ideal, Watt said he was willing to play with a quick count if necessary.
“I’m trying to be out there as much as possible, so obviously I wouldn’t want to do that, but if that’s the only thing I can do, I’ll take what I can get.” said.
Watt recorded 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss and 2 quarterback hits in the Week 11 matchup with the Ravens. So far this season, the Defensive Player of the Year candidate has forced a league-leading six fumbles along with 11.5 sacks.
For Watt, determining his status on Saturday is about balancing pain management and the risk of further injury.
“This time of year everyone is dealing with things,” Watt said. “So if I can go, I’ll go and we’ll go from there.”
