When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded a late-round pick to the Denver Broncos two weeks ago for veteran outside linebacker Malik Reed, the plan was to have him as a serviceable veteran outside linebacker to provide depth, versatility and experience behind star T.J. Watt and emerging third-year pass rusher Alex Highsmith.
Turns out, Reed might now need to be a starter in the Steel City for the foreseeable future due to the injury T.J. Watt suffered late in the fourth quarter Sunday in the Steelers’ thrilling 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the season opener.
Coming off the field, Watt could be seen pretty clearly mouthing to staff members that he tore his pectoral muscle.