The Houston Texans are getting back on of their best players for the postseason. Defensive lineman JJ Watt was activated off of the injured reserve earlier this month, and he will indeed be active in the postseason.
On Tuesday, John McClain of The Houston Chronicle reported that Watt returned to practice with the Texans, and will return when Houston hosts the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round on Saturday.
Watt suffered a torn pectoral muscle against the Oakland Raiders in Week 8. At the time, that injury was thought to be season-ending for Watt, as the defensive end even said as much on Twitter immediately following the injury in late October. Now, Watt is poised to not only return to the Texans but also provide much-needed defensive line production and depth as they will soon make a bid for a deep playoff run.
Things started to move in this direction over the last month. The Texans kept one of their two IR-return designations available to them and Watt had reportedly been "determined" to return for the postseason. Head coach Bill O'Brien even noted before Christmas that he "certainly made progress," and said "we will see" when talking about a pending return.
Watt recorded just 24 combined tackles and four sacks in eight games before suffering his injury. Bringing Watt back is feasible because the worst-case scenario is that he goes out and tears his pec muscle again. He then would undergo a relatively routine surgery and be ready for next season.
