TJ Watt reaches out to Ronnie Stanley after heart-wrenching injury

After the Baltimore Ravens left tackle suffered a season-ending injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker wished him well on Twitter

On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers extended their undefeated record to 7-0, as they went through hell to fend off the rival Baltimore Ravens by the score of 28-24. The heated back-and-forth between the two heated rivals were put to the side midway through the first quarter, as Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley had to be carted off the field with a nasty ankle injury after Steelers linebacker TJ Watt inadvertently rolled into the back of his leg. After the contest, head coach John Harbaugh revealed that Stanley was done for the season with a broken ankle.

After receiving the bad news, Stanley sent out a tweet saying he feels like he let his team down, but is thankful for all the support he received from the league. Shortly after sending that message, Watt replied to wish him well in his recovery.

The AFC North rivalry was put to the side on Twitter

Stanley’s injury was a freak accident. On that play, Watt was coming off the edge to assist defensive tackle Stephon Tuitt in his sack of quarterback Lamar Jackson. As Watt was bringing Jackson to the ground, he collided with the lower left leg of Stanley, causing him to fall awkwardly to the ground. Everyone expected the worst once the training staff placed an air cast on Stanley’s leg.

Sometimes, life is just cruel. Two days ago, Stanley and the Ravens agreed to terms on a five-year, $98.75 million extension, which prevented him from hitting the open market at the conclusion of the season. At signing, Stanley was officially the second-highest paid offensive tackle in the entire league, finishing behind Laremy Tunsil of the Houston Texans. Stanley’s hard work had finally paid off, but now he has to enter grueling physical rehabilitation to heal up for next season.

Stanley’s loss will certainly sting for the Ravens, as he was considered one of the best pass-blocking tackles in the entire NFL. Now, they’ll have to adapt and overcome for the remainder of the season, as the Ravens look to make a return trip to the playoffs.