Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt wrote a message to the fans on Monday updating them on his condition as he recovers from back surgery.
Watt had surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back last week. While he played with the injury last year, this season the injury flared up and surgery became necessary.
The surgery, called microdisectomy, is typically an outpatient procedure that removes pressure from the nerves in the spine to alleviate pain. According to the Houston Chronicle, waiting to have the surgery did not make Watt's condition worse.
The recovery time is anywhere between six and ten weeks and Watt will miss training camp and all of the preseason, according to ESPN.
The Texans put Watt on the physically unable to perform list on Monday. Watt wrote a letter to the fans thanking them for their support and said that he’ll be back soon and posted it on Twitter.
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 house all day," Watt wrote in his letter. "I've spent a lot of my 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 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."
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 25, 2016
Watt wad drafted by the Texans in 2011 and despite injuries and previous surgeries, has never missed a game. He had 17.5 sacks, 29 tackles for losses, and 50 quarterback hits last year, which led the league.
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