Chris Mortensen: JJ Watt 'Crushed' Conditioning Test, Ready for 2018 Season

Houston Texans star JJ Watt "crushed" a conditioning test ahead of the 2018 NFL season, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported (h/t ESPN's Adam Schefter).

According to Mortensen, Watt is ready for the regular season after suffering a tibial plateau fracture five games into the 2017 campaign.

While Watt may be healthy for Houston's Week 1 matchup with the New England Patriots on Sept. 9, many wonder whether he can still be a defensive force for the Texans.

The four-time Pro Bowler appeared in eight games between 2016 and 2017. A back injury ended his season two years ago. Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman questioned last October whether Watt was headed for a decline:

"It's clear, however, what's happening to Watt now. The game is wearing his body down. Even in this maliciously violent sport, Watt has experienced some of the worst the NFL can give. The only thing that hasn't happened chronically to Watt (that we know of) is a high number of serious concussive head blows."

There's no question how valuable Watt is to the Texans. Deshaun Watson helped keep Houston's head above water before his season-ending torn ACL, and that was the end of the team's playoff hopes.

The Texans finished 23rd in defensive efficiency, per Football Outsiders. Houston signed Tyrann Mathieu and Aaron Colvin to bolster the secondary, but that won't necessarily help a defense that finished 23rd in sacks (32) and 21st in adjusted sack rate, according to Football Outsiders.

If Watt is back to his best, then the Texans can again have one of the NFL's better defenses. It's far from a foregone conclusion, though, that Watt is headed for a bounce-back season in 2018.