Bill O’Brien says JJ Watt ‘will play’ in Week 1

J.J. Watt returned to practice with the Houston Texans on Monday, and it appears he is going to play in the team’s Week 1 game against the Chicago Bears.

Head coach Bill O’Brien told reporters he expects Watt to be ready to go.

“I would say that he will play,” O’Brien said, via the Texans official website. “Beyond that, I won’t be able to answer much.”

Watt was initially expected to miss 8-10 weeks after undergoing back surgery in July. The Texans probably would not rush the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year back if he was not healthy, so he must have recovered quickly. Given Watt’s history of playing through pain and injuries (see this for example), we’re not surprised he is expected to play in Week 1. The defensive end has not missed a game in his NFL career.