Texans coach Bill O'Brien reiterated Monday that he expects Watt (lower leg) to return at full strength, NFL Network's Good Morning Football reports.

EDGE Analysis

O'Brien deemed Watt ahead of schedule in early March and doubled down on the optimism when talking with the media in early April. While it's a good sign that his coach has been consistently optimistic, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year still hasn't participated in any form of on-field activity since having surgery in October to repair a tibial plateau fracture. He had 1.5 sacks in eight games over the past two seasons, after posting remarkable averages of 78.8 tackles, 17.3 sacks and 3.8 forced fumbles per year while playing every game from 2012 to 2015. Watt turned 29 in March, and he doesn't even need to make it all the way back to his peak form to be a dominant player.