J.J. Watt's return to play in 2017 is going well.
He said so the week before the Super Bowl.Â
His head coach echoed that on Tuesday morning.
"J.J.'s doing great," Bill O'Brien said. "He's really looking forward to being back in Houston in a couple weeks. He's definitely on track to be ready to go."
O'Brien spoke to the media gathered in Phoenix, Arizona for the Annual League Meeting. Watt, who missed all but the first three games of last season due to back surgery, announced in February that his rehab was finished. The Texans defensive end said he was focused on strengthening his core muscles and training for the upcoming season.
Watt and the Texans will gather together at NRG Stadium and the Houston Methodist Training Center for offseason conditioning on April 17. In late May they'll start up OTAs. How much Watt participates in those two remains to be seen. But O'Brien is confident about the 3-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year's chances for regular season action.
"I don't know how much he'll do in OTAs and things like that," O'Brien said. "But he's on track to be ready to play, and I will tell you that knowing J.J. the way I know him, he cannot wait to be back out on the field playing football."
In 2016, Watt tallied 1.5 sacks, eight tackles and five quarterback hits.Â
J.J. Watt--from his time as a Texan back to his Wisconsin Badger days--is featured here in photos.
