J.J. Watt Placed On Injured Reserve After Reportedly Re-Injuring Back Vs. Patriots

UPDATE (Wednesday, 11:05 a.m. ET): The Houston Texans officially have placed J.J. Watt on injured reserve.

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year re-injured his surgically repaired back during last Thursday’s loss to the New England Patriots, according to multiple reports.

ORIGINAL STORY: Houston, you have a problem.

The Texans’ defense reportedly suffered a major blow, as star defensive end J.J. Watt is likely headed to injured reserve after re-injuring his back, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.

Watt, 27, had surgery for a herniated disc in July and missed the entire preseason, but he was on the field in Week 1 and hasn’t missed a game this season. It’s believed he re-injured his back during last week’s 27-0 loss to the New England Patriots.

The two-time defending Defensive Player of the Year is expected to hit IR on Wednesday, and the Texans reportedly will re-sign defensive end Antonio Smith for depth in Watt’s stead.

Here’s the latest on Watt’s injury.

Here’s a bit of perspective on Watt’s value to the Texans.

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