When will T.J. Watt return? Steelers insiders weigh in

There appears to be a timeline for star linebacker T.J. Watt’s return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have started their season with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but they lost star linebacker T.J. Watt just before overtime. It was later revealed that Watt had suffered a torn pectoral muscle, and there was fear that he could miss the entirety of the 2022 season if he were to need surgery. That was not the case, as it was determined he did not need to undergo a procedure, and he was placed on injured reserve.

This past Wednesday, the Steelers activated Watt off of the injured reserve, opening up the 21-day activation window. That is welcome news for Pittsburgh fans, but when can they expect his return?

Some NFL insiders gave insight on what the team could do.

When will T.J. Watt return for Steelers?

ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter noted that the Steelers did not activate him on Saturday, the day before their big game against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. That means Week 8 is ruled out.

Rich Walsh of KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh tweeted out that they are eying a return for Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints, which will be right after their bye.

Since Watt was sidelined due to his injury, Pittsburgh went on a four-game skid before they picked up a huge Week 6 upset over the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, they did lose this past week to the Miami Dolphins, bringing their record to 2-5 entering Week 8.

The Steelers will have to go without Watt when they face an Eagle team that averages 394.5 yards of offense (fifth-most in NFL) and 26.8 points (fourth-most) per game.