J.J. Watt injury update: Texans star carted off field with knee injury

Houston Texans folk hero J.J. Watt left Sunday’s game against the Chiefs with what appeared to be a leg injury.

One thing the Houston Texans didn’t want to see was star defensive player J.J. Watt going down with an injury. That’s exactly what happened on Sunday night when Watt went down with what appeared to be a non-contact injury.

Initial replays seemed to show Watt tripping over himself, which indicated it could be an ankle injury. The amount of pain Watt was in, and his dejected demeanor while being taken to the cart on the sideline, seems to suggest this is more serious than we think.

UPDATE: An ambulance was seen near the Texans locker room, presumably to take Watt to an area hospital for further evaluation on his knee. He wasn’t seen in the ambulance, but it’s not hard to see that being how it ends.

UPDATE 2: Watt has indeed left NRG Stadium in an ambulance.

Watt needed to be helped off the field, was examined in the medical tent and then carted to the locker room for further evaluation. The injury came on the same drive that Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus was taken out of the game with a chest injury.

The fear is that this is an ACL or MCL injury for Watt. If that’s the case, then his season will be cut short far too early in the year. What makes this even more heartbreaking is the context of how important Watt has been to the Houston community in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

If Watt is out for the season, this entirely changes the trajectory for Houston. The defense has been a pillar for the playoff teams of the past and that looked to be the case again this year. Deshaun Watson can only do so much and taking away the ferociousness of the defense changes the ball game in a big way for the Texans the rest of the way.

This story is being updated live….