HOUSTON – J.J. Watt has received an overwhelming amount of well wishes as he recovers from back surgery, and the Houston Texans star is thanking everyone for their support.
Watt posted a handwritten thank you on social media: "As I sit here recovering from back surgery, the doctors won't really let me do much, so I end up just pacing around my home all day. I've spent a lot of time reading through the notes and letters that y'all have sent to me and trying to respond to as many as I can. I know I won't be able to respond directly to everyone, so I wanted to write one note to all of you to say thank you. You make our jobs possible. You make our jobs possible. You make them fun and you make difficult times like these much easier. So thank you, I truly appreciate you. See you on the field very soon."
Posted by JJ Watt on Sunday, July 24, 2016
Watt is expected to miss training camp and the preseason.
"A herniated disc is the most common injury we see," said Dr. Neil Badlani of the Orthopedic Sports Clinic. "The disc gets pressurized over time and that can cause a piece of the disc to bulge or herniate out of the space between the bones and into the space where the nerves in the spine are."
Opening day at NRG is Sept. 11. Badlani said it will be pushing it for Watt to be ready to play.
Watt has never missed a regular-season or playoff game.