Here are the injuries we're monitoring on the seventh Sunday of the 2018 NFL season:
- Miami Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson suffered a leg injury against the Detroit Lions and did not return. Wilson's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told WSVN-Fox that Wilson could miss "significant time" with what he claimed was a hip injury.
“I was not 100 percent for a lot of the games, and it was frustrating,” Watt told The Athletic. “I just wanted to play football, and I couldn’t the way I wanted to. It was tough. … It wasn’t easy. It sucked not being able to participate and not being able to put your hand in the pile.”
In total, the health problems cost Watt seven games -- a remarkable total, considering the severity of his pectoral injury -- and limited him to 5.5 sacks, 17 less than his 22.5-sack 2021 season. He still earned a trip to the Pro Bowl, but for the first time since 2018, Watt missed out on All-Pro honors and fell short of double-digit sacks for only the second time in his six-year career.
Watt's 2021 season earned him the Defensive Player of the Year award he'd narrowly missed out on winning in 2019 and 2020. The expectation was he'd continue to play at an elite level in the prime of his career, but that was sidetracked with his Week 1 injury, forcing him out of Pittsburgh's season opener at Cincinnati.
The footage of Watt walking to the locker room for further examination was all the football world would see from him for nearly two months. Now that he's been given time to recover, Watt has acknowledged he has some miles on him, and needed to adjust his training.
The torn pectoral was a "freak injury," but he knows mobility and flexibility will be increasingly important to his future.
“I am not training as I was when I was 22, I will tell you that,” Watt said. “It makes no sense now. What I have learned is as you get older, you are always evolving. No offseason is the same. You are always evolving and learning about your body, and as I get older, that’s how I have approached every offseason, and this one was a little different than the others.”
Prior to 2022, Watt was not one to miss many games. He missed just one contest in the first three years of his career, appeared in 15 of 16 in 2020, and played in 15 of 17 in 2021.
With an adjustment in training and time to consider his future, Watt knows 2023 and beyond will come down to one ability more than anything: availability.
“I just need to stay healthy and everything else will take care of itself,” Watt said.
- Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoyis in the concussion protocol after exiting in the first half of Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. Defensive end Trent Murphy exited with a knee injury.
- Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyler Patmon was ruled out against the Houston Texans with a neck strain. Linebacker Donald Payne suffered a sprained MCL and is expected to miss some time, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports.
- Houston Texans wide receiver Keke Coutee was ruled out after suffering a hamstring injury in the first half.
- New York Jets running back Bilal Powell exited against the Minnesota Vikings with a neck injury. Safety Doug Middleton suffered a shoulder injury and also did not return.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander suffered a knee injury against the Cleveland Browns and did not return. Rapoport reported the Bucs are concerned Alexander tore his ACL. He is scheduled to have an MRI.
- Carolina Panthers defensive end Mario Addison exited with a back injury against the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr suffered a hamstring injury and did not return.
- San Francisco 49ers defensive back Adrian Colbert was carted off the field after suffering an undisclosed injury in the third quarter.
- Los Angeles Rams cornerback Troy Hill was evaluated for a concussion.
- Baltimore Ravens guard Bradley Bozeman exited with a calf injury.
- Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Terrance Smith suffered a knee injury against the Cincinnati Bengals and did not return.
- Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict suffered a left hip injury in the second half and did not return. Tight end Mason Schreck (knee) and wideout John Ross (groin) were both declared out after suffering injuries in the second half.