Mark Madden's Hot Take: T.J. Watt won't save Steelers

T.J. Watt practiced this past week. Watt said he was “trending” toward playing at Philadelphia.

Percentages of likelihood were mooted. False reports were posted. Optimism soared.

But Watt won’t play.

Watt probably wasn’t ever going to. It was just chatter, a hope spot designed to temporarily buoy the locker room and fans before a probable massacre.

It’s just as well that Watt won’t play. There’s no saving this season.

Watt wasn’t going to trigger an upset of the Eagles, who are 6-0 and might be the NFL’s best team.

Let Watt practice through the bye week and be that much more fit.

Until Watt gets hurt again. He will. His body is breaking down on the same timetable his brother J.J.’s did. (As predicted in this space.)

Watt’s pec, his knee, something else … it’s going to keep happening again and again.

Watt wouldn’t have played many snaps at Philadelphia.

Watt wouldn’t have dominated at Philadelphia.

Watt would obviously have zero impact on the Steelers’ offensive struggles. Those problems are great, and they are many.

The Steelers are 2-5. Any notion of a playoff berth or winning season has long since vanished. If either was ever remotely possible in the first place.

Abandon all hope, ye who watch Sunday’s visit to Lincoln Financial Field.

Given Watt’s physical deterioration at 29 and the state of the Steelers, it wouldn’t be shocking if Watt never wins a playoff game during his Pittsburgh tenure.

That’s not Watt’s fault. Wrong place, wrong time, great player with a breakneck physical style that’s wrecking his body but can’t be compromised.

Watt’s value is proven in his absence.

Over the last two seasons, the Steelers are 2-9-1 in games Watt missed or saw his play compromised by injury.

The Steelers had seven sacks in their season-opening win at Cincinnati. (Watt had one.)

Since then, without Watt, the Steelers have five sacks in six games.

Before this year, the Steelers led the NFL in sacks during each of Watt’s five seasons, registering 52 or more each year.

Watt is getting paid $24 million this year.

Displaying his worth by not playing isn’t what the Steelers had in mind.