JJ Watt is having an easier time in his recovery from injury this season, at least relatively speaking.
In an interview with Sarah Barshop of ESPN that ran on Friday, the Houston Texans four-time All-Pro defensive end said that his broken left leg has been easier to deal with than his back injury from last season.
“I think one of the biggest things that’s a bit easier about this year is with the back injury, nobody can see it,” said Watt. “You’re walking around, you look normal. Everything seems normal. When you’re on crutches … people can understand a broken leg a lot easier than they can understand a broken back.
“Last year I felt so guilty, because I could walk, I could move, but I couldn’t play,” he continued. “This year, I mean, my leg’s broken. What am I going to do? For me it’s easier mentally.”
Watt, 28, suffered the season-ending tibial plateau fracture in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs. This comes after he was limited to just three games in 2016 because of his back, which necessitated two surgeries. The good news though is that Watt appears to be having a smoother recovery process this time around, even if the specifics of when he will be ready to return to the field are still up in the air.
