All-world pass rusher J.J. Watt is starting his first season with the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately, an injury has his year off to a rough start.
According to NFL Network’s James Palmer, Watt tweaked his hamstring during his test run on Tuesday. He was held out of practice today and will not practice on Thursday either.
Watt is heading into the first year of a two-year, $28 million contract he signed with Arizona early in the 2021 offseason. He even got special permission to wear the No. 99, which had been retired to honor Cardinals legend Marshall Goldberg.
But if Watt is already picking up non-contact injuries in training camp, it bodes poorly for the upcoming season. Watt is 32 and has an extensive injury history.
J.J. Watt tweaked his hamstring during his run test on Tuesday. didn’t practice Wednesday and won’t practice tomorrow either.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) July 28, 2021
J.J. Watt is one of the most dominant pass rushers in NFL history. He has 101 sacks in 128 career games.
But injuries have taken a serious toll on Watt over the past five years. Since 2016 he’s played in just 48 games, and in 2020 he had his lowest-ever sack total for a full 16-game season.
The plan for Watt in Arizona was to pair him with pass rusher Chandler Jones to create a dominating pair of bookend pass rushers. But with Jones reportedly seeking a trade and Watt now hurt, those plans might be on hold.
The 2021 season is going to be a crucial year for the Arizona Cardinals, specifically head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who has struggled to win as an NFL coach.
If Watt isn’t there to lead the defense, Arizona could be left spinning its wheels this coming season.
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