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Steelers Rule Out T.J. Watt for Bills Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without their superstar edge rusher against the Buffalo Bills.

Stephen Thompson

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PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed some expected, but disappointing news as his team prepares for a Wild Card Weekend matchup with the Buffalo Bills. 

Tomlin said during his weekly press conference that Steelers superstar outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who injured his knee in the regular season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, would not play this week when they travel to Highmark Stadium to take on the Bills. 

Watt suffered a grade 2 MCL sprain down in Baltimore this past weekend, a more encouraging diagnosis than it originally seemed, but according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Steelers would need to keep their season alive for at least two weeks before Watt is healthy enough to return and he'd have to wear a brace around his knee when he does. 

Watt is a bonafide Defensive Player of the Year candidate after racking up a league-high 19 sacks along with 19 tackles for loss, eight pass deflections and an interception during the 2023-24 season. 

For now, the Steelers will lean on Alex Highsmith, Markus Golden and rookie Nick Herbig, who accounted for 14 sacks and 19 tackles for loss combined this season, in their playoff-opening game against Buffalo's explosive offense. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper. He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press. During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general. 

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