While some questioned his health heading into 2018, J.J. Watt is crystal clear about his status for the Texans season opener at New England.

"Oh, yeah," Watt said Tuesday. "I mean, there's no doubt."

Watt, coming off his second consecutive season-ending surgery, is confident that he will start in Week 1 against the Patriots. The Texans star defensive end missed 11 games in 2017 and spent the offseason rehabbing from a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg. In 2016, he suffered a back injury that required surgery after just three games.

While he did not see any action in last week's preseason game at Kansas City, Watt was cleared for the start of training camp and has been full-go ever since.

"I feel great," Watt said. "I love being on the field. I've had great work out here. I'm just controlling what I can control."

The three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year isn't ready to make any bold predictions of his success in 2018. Watt is taking his return one day at a time, the same philosophy that earned him All-Pro honors four times and helped him lead the NFL in sacks in 2012 and 2015.

"I need to be the best I can possibly be today, and then tomorrow I need to be the best I can possibly be tomorrow," Watt said. "It doesn't help me at all to think about, 'I wonder if in December I can have this many sacks.' I mean, it doesn't matter because if I don't take care of August then I'm never going to get to December. So, it's just one day at a time, one workout at a time, one practice at a time. That's how I got to be what I was in the first place. I mean, you don't get there by thinking ahead."

The Texans open their 2018 regular season on Sept. 9 at Gillette Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon CT on CBS and SportsRadio 610.