J.J. Watt on injuries: 'Pain is something that is going to be there'
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, who has played with a broken hand over the last two weeks, said while the pain associated with injury is a given, the ability to play through it is all part of a mindset.
Watt, who has 13.5 sacks on the season, has seen his statistics dip since being injured, recording seven tackles without a sack. He said he's becoming more comfortable playing with a cast on his hand, but still experiences pain at times. The NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year has also been hampered by groin inury in recent weeks.
“That comes in and out,” Watt said. “There’s moments where it’s much more painful than others. There’s moments where it really isn’t painful at all. It really just depends. Football is a violent game so obviously it’s getting smacked around all the time and getting hit.
“There’s very painful moments, but then there’s also times where it’s not that bad. It’s just a mentality. It’s whether you want to play through it or not, that’s all it comes down to. Pain is something that is going to be there. It just comes down to whether or not you’re willing to play through it.”
Watt's, whose willingness to play through it is evident, will be on the field when the Texans face the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday.
