Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt won’t quantify how “great” he feels after recovering from a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg last season.
The defensive end felt well enough to join Texans players, coaches, and front office personnel in the club’s 16th annual charity golf classic Monday.
“I feel great,” Watt said. “I feel very good. I mean, I’m not going to put any percentages on it or anything. Like I said earlier in the off-season, I could tell you I’m feeling unbelievable (or) I could tell you I’m feeling super (bad) – you won’t know until I hit the field.”
Watt says that people will be able to gauge how well he feels come training camp.
Houston is coming off of a season that had optimism with rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson showing flashes of brilliance at the position before his ACL injury sidelined him midway through the season, which seems to be a theme for key contributors coming back from injury. The Texans have also made off-season moves with the addition of free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu and the retention of cornerback Jonathan Joseph. The same optimism is present in the off-season.
“Obviously we’re all very excited,” said Watt. “Guys are putting in a lot of work. The off-season really isn’t a time for big proclamations or statements on what you’re going to do. It’s a time to put in the work, enjoy some time with family and some of the things you don’t get to do during the season.”
One of the off-season’s biggest goals, according to Watt, is getting yourself ready for the season. Watt has lived up to that philosophy as he has scaled back some of his typical off-season routines, including his annual celebrity softball game and home run derby.
Said Watt: “It’s mainly about getting yourself ready for the season. I think our guys have been doing a really good job of that. We’re really enjoying being around each other, putting in the work. We have a great strength program, we have a great nutrition program. It’s been going really well.”
