The Texans No. 1 ranked defense is just months away from the return of its three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year back in uniform.
J.J. Watt, cleared for football activities after last season's back surgery, has been in contact about with head coach Bill O'Brien about his progress. Both are very optimistic about his return to football.
"He's in great shape," O'Brien said Wednesday at the NFL Combine. "He can't wait to be back. He'll probably participate, to a certain extent, in OTAs."
Organized team activities (OTAs) begin in April and last nine weeks. Practices do not allow any live contact, in one-on-one pass rush drills or in 11-on-11 team drills.
"It's more of a passing camp, a teaching camp," O'Brien said. "So, the true test for him will be training camp, and I know that he's really looking forward to training camp and coming back and playing as good as ever in 2017."
Watt underwent one back surgery prior to the start of the Texans 2016 training camp, and another after re-injuring his back following the Week 3 loss at New England.
J.J. Watt--from his time as a Texan back to his Wisconsin Badger days--is featured here in photos.
