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Texans defensive end J.J. Watt was careful not to put a specific date on when he’d return from back surgery.

And it appears that date is going to be at some point after the beginning of the regular season.

According to Ed Werder of ESPN, Texans coach Bill O’Brien was encouraged by the latest check on his star’s back, but was still unsure he was going to be able to play the first two regular season games.

He had a procedure to clean up a herniated disc, or as he put it to remove “a whole bunch of crap out of my back.”

Watt has dealt with a number of injury issues in the past but has never missed a regular season game, but having back surgery a month ago makes this one a bit different than some of the others.