Indianapolis Colts right tackle Jalen Travis faced one of the toughest assignments an NFL offensive lineman can draw in the bout vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, facing four-time All-Pro TJ Watt.
Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter came away impressed with how Travis handled it.
“Quite the challenge,” Cooter said of facing Steelers star T.J. Watt, per Colts.com
. “He’s a noted game wrecker, and that’s a tall task.”
Travis answered that challenge well enough to earn strong approval from his offensive coordinator.
“Jalen Travis really stepped up, played a really nice game,” Cooter said. “Excited for his continued improvement.”
Watt came into the matchup as a premier edge rusher in the NFL and had 4.5 sacks through Pittsburgh’s first four games. He finished
the Steelers’ 34-22 win over Indianapolis without recording a sack and posted a modest two QB pressures, per PFF.
Travis has started all five games at right tackle for the Colts this season, continuing his development after receiving his first extended NFL action late in 2025.
Indianapolis selected the 6-foot-8, 339-pound Travis in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft out of Iowa State. He started the final four games of his rookie season after Braden Smith went down.
His performance against Watt represented a hopeful signal ahead of the Colts' Week 6 matchup with the Tennessee Titans.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts OC praises Jalen Travis after ‘tall task’ against T.J. Watt
