J.J. Watt broke his hand during Texans practice Wednesday and did not practice on Thursday. But in typical Watt fashion, he will not miss Sunday's game against the Patriots.
Watt confirmed the injury on Thursday, via the team's official website.
While we do not know specifics about the severity of the break -- severe enough to require some form of cast, at least -- it seems like this will not be discussed any further by the team. Watt didn't seem interested in parsing the details when speaking with reporters.
"I've played with worse than this before," Watt said.
What else is there to say? This was the least surprising development of the afternoon and probably the reason why the Texans value Watt so much. If nothing else, it brings attention to the types of injuries players are willing to withstand to remain on the field. A few weeks back, Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick took the field right after surgery on his non-throwing hand, this after playing with a hand that required surgery.
Watt already was on the injury report with a groin issue, but he played in 60 of the team's 62 snaps last Sunday against the Bills. There has not been a game this season where Watt has missed more than eight defensive snaps. He currently leads the league with 13 ½ sacks.
In a crucial game against the Patriots, Watt knows every snap counts in order to keep the Texans in the race for a playoff spot. Indianapolis has a little bit of an easier challenge against Jacksonville this weekend. But they do not have J.J. Watt.
