Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports
It didn’t take long for Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt to burst onto the season as a pro. The 11th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft had a relatively decent rookie season, but nearly quadrupled his sacks during his second year.
Last summer, Watt dislocated his left elbow during training camp and was forced to wear a brace on it throughout the 2012 season. As you probably guessed, it didn’t exactly hamper his production on the field.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year recently sat out a portion of a practice on Sunday due to soreness in that same elbow, though, and because of that there were questions in regards to the injury.
“I just want to be smart with it. I put (the elbow) through a lot of work over the last week. It’s done a lot of work without the brace for the first time in a long time,” Watt said according to NFL.com.
“…so I’m bringing the brace back just as kind of a security measure, you know, to make sure it stays secure and it stays safe.”
With Watt bringing the brace back for this year, it makes you wonder whether or not his elbow will ever be fully healthy again. Of course at this stage of his career it hasn’t been a big deal, but in the future it may affect his play.
Is this cause for concern in Houston?
Right now it can’t be too much of a big deal, but again, Watt will have to monitor the elbow closely until it finally — if ever — gets to the point where he can play without the brace.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
