Reports: J.J. Watt expected to miss rest of season after undergoing back surgery
J.J. Watt is expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery Thursday to repair a herniated disk in his back, multiple outlets report.
The defensive lineman was placed on injured reserve by the Houston Texans Wednesday, meaning he'd miss a minimum of eight weeks. But ESPN's Adam Schefter was first Thursday to report that Watt is not expected to return, with several other outlets quickly following suit.
Watt had surgery on the same disk in July and had a quick rehab to get back on the field. But he wasn't his usual dominant self through the first three games, and this week the Texans revealed he needed a second surgery after he hurt his back in last week's loss to New England.
Watt, who has won Defensive Player of the Year for the past two seasons, will miss a game for the first time in his career Sunday after starting 83 straight since he was drafted in the first round in 2011.
Watt had eight tackles and 1.5 sacks in three games this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
