A healthy J.J. Watt returned to the practice field for the start of Texans OTAs this week.
"J.J. is doing great," head coach Bill O'Brien said Tuesday. "He's been here all offseason. He's working hard. It's tough enough to block him in pads, let alone out of pads. So, he's doing great. Like we all know, he'll be ready to go."
After undergoing season-ending back surgery last year, Watt was cleared for football activities earlier this offseason. Watt showed no signs of his September injury during his May 13 annual Charity Classic softball game, even winning the homerun derby for the first time.
While the three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year did practice Tuesday, he may be limited or miss one of the team's 10 OTA practices as part of his protocol.
"I feel very good," Watt said. "I think the slow pace applies a little bit more to the weight room and stuff like that than it does to the field. I don't like to play slow. Very fast, feeling good. It's so much fun to be in the meetings, to be on the field and just be back with the guys. I mean, there's no better feeling than being with my teammates. So, I feel great. I'm sure we'll have some sort of program here where I take a day off here and take a day off there, but as far as when I'm allowed to be on the field, I feel awesome."
The Texans will hold OTAs at the Houston Methodist Training Center on the following dates: May 22-23, May 25, May 30-31, June 1, June 5-6, and June 8-9.
J.J. Watt--from his time as a Texan back to his Wisconsin Badger days--is featured here in photos.
