Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt has been out of action since he sustained a hamstring injury during the early part of the team’s training camp.
When J.J. Watt became a free agent last February, the Arizona Cardinals were certainly not among the teams around the NFL that most figured were in the running to sign the All-Pro defensive lineman.
But Watt surprised a lot of people and he decided to make Arizona his new home for the 2021 season.
Unfortunately, the 32-year-old has been out of action since July with a hamstring injury. On Friday, however, Watt let everyone know when he expects to return to the field.
J.J. Watt expects to play in the Arizona Cardinals 2021 regular-season opener
The Cardinals kicked off their 2021 preseason on Friday with a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Watt did not participate, but he was still on the sidelines inside State Farm Stadium to support his new Arizona teammates.
During the fourth quarter, Watt was interviewed on the TV broadcast and he was asked how his injury is currently feeling.
"“I feel great. I feel very good and I’m very much looking forward to September 12th.”"
That date he referred to, September 12, is when the Cardinals will open up the 2021 regular season on the road against the Tennessee Titans.
It’s possible that Watt could return to practice for Arizona before their matchup with the Titans, but he has at least let it be known that he expects to be ready for Week 1.
The recovery time for a hamstring injury is incredibly difficult to predict, so it seems like the Cardinals are letting the veteran pass rusher take as much time as he needs in order to be ready for the regular-season opener.
If he does indeed suit up for Arizona’s Week 1 showdown against Tennessee, it will be interesting to see how many snaps he plays. Will he just be completely back to normal or are the Cardinals going to ease him back into things to avoid him suffering a setback?