J.J. Watt expected to play vs. Rams on Monday

I.J. Watt suffered a significant shoulder injury back in November, one that was expected to sideline him 6-8 months. But just like Cam Akers, Watt is returning much sooner than initially thought.

According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Watt is expected to suit up and play against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. That’s a huge lift for the Arizona Cardinals, who now add Watt to a defensive front that already features Chandler Jones and Markus Golden.

The Rams have two of the best offensive tackles in the league with Rob Havenstein and Andrew Whitworth, but they’ll have their hands full against Arizona’s trio of pass rushers on Monday.

Protecting Matthew Stafford is paramount and the Rams have done an excellent job of that. Watt will make that more difficult after missing the last meeting in November.