J.J. Watt sat out Wednesday's practice because of injury. But according to the defensive end, as well as head coach Gary Kubiak, the 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the Year will likely be back on Thursday.
"His back's still sore," Kubiak said. "So we gave him the day off. He should be back out there tomorrow."
Watt hurt his back in Sunday's loss to the Raiders.
The third-year pro was in uniform, without pads, and watched practice at the Houston Methodist Training Center on Wednesday. He doesn't think the injury will be a major hindrance.
"I'm doing well, just a little precautionary today," Watt said. "It won't be any issue at all. I'll be perfectly fine for Sunday."
He said he wasn't "exactly sure" what the specific injury was, and said that his back was "just a little sore". He also didn't enjoy watching his teammates practice without him. "I'm not a big fan," Watt said. "I get a little fidgety and agitated. I don't know what to do with myself. I toss a little football up and down all day to try and distract myself."
So far this season, Watt leads the NFL with 30 quarterback hits and 15 tackles for loss. He also has a team-best 8.5 sacks.
With the Texans in the midst of an 8-game skid, Kubiak said Watt and wide receiver Andre Johnson's superlative play hasn't slipped at all, and that the team's troubles won't tarnish their individual efforts. "At the end of the year, I think everybody acknowledges what guys do a consistent basis in this league," Kubiak said. "I don't think that will be any different for those guys."
