A slim chance J.J. Watt would be able to return this season was all but quelled Thursday when the Texans' star pass rusher had surgery on his ailing back, ESPN.com reported.
Watt, placed on injured reserve Wednesday, was to miss eight weeks at minimum, with Houston holding out hope he might be able to recover in time to play again in 2016. At the time, Texans coach Bill O'Brien said it wasn't yet known whether Watt would need to undergo back surgery for the second time in three months.
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Despite the grim prognosis, Watt posted "I'll be back" on social media, vowing to return as quickly as possible.
"I haven't missed a game since my sophomore year of high school," he wrote. "This won't be fun, but it is necessary in order for me to return to 100 percent and play at the level that I am capable of playing at."
Watt, 27, had back surgery in July to repair a herniated disk, missing training camp and most of Houston's preseason schedule. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year likely aggravated the injury in a Week 3 27-0 loss to the Patriots.
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Watt played most of last season with torn torso and groin muscles, plus the herniated disk, but still led the NFL with 17.5 sacks.
He had gotten off to a relatively slow start this season, with just 1.5 sacks and eight tackles.
