PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers battled the Indianapolis Colts on a rainy afternoon, as two 2-2 squads battled for momentum in the early part of the regular season. Despite the bad weather, the two teams played surprisingly clean football through the opening half.
With those sloppy conditions, injuries were on the minds of both the Colts and the Steelers. Lower-body injuries are where the mind immediately goes, but the first ailment the Steelers faced in Week 5 was a scary one that had nothing to do with the playing conditions at Acrisure Stadium.
During the second quarter of the contest, star edge rusher T.J. Watt went one-on-one with Colts offensive lineman Jalen Travis when the Indianapolis tackle shot his hands up to block him, Travis’s hands hit Watt up high, and it appeared that his fingers may have gone through Watt’s facemask and poked him in the eye. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor shared a clip of the play via her X account. In the replay, you can see Watt react to the accidental eye-gouging immediately after breaking off of the block.
After being examined in the blue medical tent, Watt returned to the team’s bench. He was shown on the television broadcast icing his right eye. NFL Network’s Tracy Wolfson shared while reporting from the sidelines that Watt was questionable to return and the Steelers had added a visor to his facemask for added protection.
Steelers Relying on Depth
Losing T.J. Watt is the last thing the Steelers want to see happen, but of all positions on the defense, edge rusher is one they can afford a hit or two.
The Steelers have one of the deepest outside linebacker rooms in the NFL, and that comes in handy when your leader and top player goes down. Behind Watt, the Steelers have another Pro Bowl level player in Alex Highsmith and a quality starter in Nick Herbig. Throw in second-year rotational player Jack Sawyer, and there is a high level of comfort moving forward.
Should Watt miss time, Highsmith and Herbig would assume the majority of the snaps on the edge. The trio has split time over the first five weeks, but they can.
Watt’s DPOY Campaign Continues
It’s only Week 5, but an early race is emerging for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Once again. Watt is at the center of those conversations. He’s been an absolute game-wrecker in 2026, posting 4.5 sacks in four contests, a forced fumble, and two passes defended.
Watt has seemingly reverted to his vintage self, and that would be cemented by winning the second DPOY of his storied NFL career.
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