J.J. Watt is taking a cautious approach with the left elbow he dislocated in training camp one summer ago.
After the Houston Texans pass rusher was limited in Sunday's practice with elbow soreness, he told reporters he'll play through the season with the same mammoth black brace he wore last year.
"Cosmetically, I'm just not a huge fan of the way it looks, but it never really bothered me from a playing standpoint, so I don't see it being an issue whatsoever. It's just something I have to play with and that's it," Watt said.
"I just want to be smart with it. I put (the elbow) through a lot of work over the last week," he continued. "It's done a lot of work without the brace for the first time in a long time, so I'm bringing the brace back just as kind of a security measure, you know, to make sure it stays secure and it stays safe."
It might not be fashionable, but the brace didn't get in the way of Watt producing one of the most dominant seasons in NFL history. His 20.5 sacks earned him Defensive Player of the Year honors, and he arguably was the league's most valuable player for long stretches.
Brace or not, quarterbacks everywhere will continue to see Watt in their darkest dreams at night.
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