NFL Insider Ian Rapoport Updates Steelers Situation Regarding TJ Watt And Concussion Protocol

The Pittsburgh Steelers landed in hot water surrounding TJ Watt's return to play during their Week 14 matchup with the New England Patriots. The star pass rusher exited the game after getting kneed in the facemask by Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott while trying to make a tackle on the play. Watt returned and played the rest of the game with a tinted visor, which suggested that he was suffering from light sensitivity, which is a symptom of a concussion. Watt returned to play the rest of the game and finished with three solo tackles, with one for a loss. 

Watt and his partner on the outside, Alex Highsmith, who suffered a neck injury against the Patriots, returned to practice on Tuesday. This is a good sign for the Steelers as they prepare to face the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday. Watt cleared the league's concussion protocol per the team's Senior Director of Communication, Burt Lauten. He announced the news on X late Wednesday night, and Watt was a full participant in practice on Wednesday. Highsmith was limited. 

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday that the league and the NFLPA are going through things to ensure everything was done above board. 

Steelers And Interested Parties Should Expect Answers "Sooner Rather Than Later" 

It makes total sense for the NFL and NFLPA to do some extra due diligence in these types of situations due to the heightened attention to head injuries around the league. The Miami Dolphins' handling of their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa last season, when he was rushed back into game action after showing concussion symptoms, along with concussions to Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, magnified the issue for those invested in the NFL. 

Rapoport said the league and the players' union are following standard protocol to take an extra look at how the process of Watt's potential concussion was handled. He added that there's still quite a bit of unknown in this situation that the interested parties will want to investigate and clear up. 

"He [Watt] was cleared from the protocol and that's a good sign for him," he said. "The other part of this guys is, and I would say this is more standard than anything else, the NFL and NFLPA are reviewing the status and situation surrounding how he entered the protocol."

The respected insider continued that Watt was put into the protocol after the game, not during it. Watt was checked out for a possible head injury after the knee to the face according to Rapoport, but was cleared to play the remainder of the game and did return with the tinted visor. He added that there are still some details to be flushed out from this situation, but clarity should be coming soon. 

"We do not know what led to anything that put him back on the field," he said. "We are going to get answers sooner rather than later as to what led to the concussion protocol surrounding TJ Watt." 

Football is an incredibly physical sport with a very prevalent risk of head injuries. These situations have to be treated correctly and with due diligence. Watt is a very impactful player for the Steelers, but his health and the safety of players moving forward need to be at the forefront of the minds of those looking into this situation. 

While it would be a tremendous blow for the Steelers if both Watt and Highsmith had to miss a pivotal game against the Colts on Saturday, it's good to see that the league and the NFLPA are focused on player's health. Winning on Saturday helps the Steelers stay in the playoff race, but ensuring that Watt and Highsmith are healthy enough to play is the number one priority. 

Do you think Watt's potential concussion is being correctly addressed? Are you surprised the league and union are taking another look? Comment below!

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