Houston Texans: All bets are on indicating that J.J. Watt will return in 2019

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt tore his pectoral muscle in late October but there’s optimism that he will return in 2019. What’s going on?

The Houston Texans will be taking on the New England Patriots this evening in what will be an amazing matchup between one team looking to solidify its identity and one that has been established for quite some time.

The narrative for this game will be the battle of the coaches — Bill O’Brien and Bill Belichick — and it will all come down to who makes the final checkmate move. All signs are pointing to Belichick being that man but I think this is the most important game of O’Brien’s career thus far. Based on how this game goes, it will give a nice barometer of how he’s grown as a coach and if he can rally his team to win the big one like this game tonight.

I think O’Brien has a great football mind but sometimes he can get a bit stubborn, get set in his ways and stick with the same formula. He seems to be stepping away from that mantra a bit this season by promoting long-time confidant Tim Kelly from tight ends coach to offensive coordinator. For the most part, things have worked as there is now someone else to look under the hood with the play calls.

Let’s hope these two bring their “A” game tonight against the Pats.

But aside from the big game tonight, there is some incredible news that just broke earlier this morning.

NFL Insider Ian Rapoport is reporting that Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, who has been rehabbing from a pectoral injury sustained in late October could be on the mend quickly and may be ready to go in their Week 17 matchup against the Tennessee Titans and for the playoffs.

That man never ceases to amaze me on how dedicated he is to not only this franchise but to be out there to help his teammates. He could’ve just thrown in the towel and tried again for next season but he wants to come back NOW.

Rapoport also mentioned that if he were to re-tear the pec again, the surgery to correct it again

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would take place quickly and he’d still be ready to play at the start of the 2020 season.

As you know by now, the Houston Texans recently activated tight end Jordan Thomas from the injured reserve list after he fully recovered from a cracked rib injury back during the preseason. Coincidentally, the franchise has left a spot on the IR for Watt just in case they can designate him to return.

If I were a betting man, this is not the last that we’ll see of 30-year-old future Hall of Famer in 2019. Although the timeline is predicated on the progress of his recovery, I think we’ll be seeing him sooner than later.

Even if he’s a bit rusty out on the gridiron, his natural instincts as a player will get him through and I can unequivocally admonish that he will still make a difference out on the defensive line.

Next. Texans: How close Watson could be to catch Brady. dark

We’ll have to keep an eye on this — go Houston Texans!

Watt amassed 24 tackles — 15 solos — along with 4.0 sacks, four tackles-for-loss, 20 quarterback hits, three passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble through his first eight games this season before getting hurt.

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