T.J. Watt injury update: Steelers star had surgery to repair partially collapsed lung
Pittsburgh Steelers star TJ Watt is recovering from surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung he suffered while receiving treatment at the team’s facility, his brother JJ Watt said Friday. TJ Watt was transported to a Pittsburgh area hospital Wednesday after experiencing chest discomfort.
In his message, JJ Watt noted that TJ’s recovery timetable is still to be determined, but that the Steelers edge rusher will be released from the hospital Friday after undergoing surgery Thursday.
Watt’s status for Pittsburgh’s game against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night is very much in question. ESPN reports that Watt is “unlikely” to dress Monday, but he is expected to return this season, according to NFL Network. The Steelers will release their final injury report for Week 15 on Friday afternoon.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Thursday that Watt remained in the hospital overnight Wednesday after “experiencing some discomfort” earlier in the day.
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Watt, 31, is in the middle of his ninth season with the Steelers, who selected him with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. A seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro, Watt earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 after tying the league single-season record of 22.5 sacks. Watt, who led the NFL in sacks three times, is the Steelers’ career leader with 115 sacks. Earlier this season, he surpassed his brother and future Hall of Famer JJ Watt on the NFL’s career sack list.
In 13 games this season, Watt has recorded 7.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception for the Steelers, who are currently 7-6 and lead the Baltimore Ravens by one game in the AFC North standings.
If Watt can’t face Miami, he will be replaced by Nick Herbig, another former Wisconsin Badger who has made nine starts over the last two years. This season, Herbig recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks, along with three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Watt is the second Steelers player to be hospitalized in recent days. Following Pittsburgh’s Week 14 win over the Ravens, wideout DK Metcalf spent the night in a Baltimore-area hospital after experiencing stomach pains. Tomlin said earlier this week that Metcalf was “moving in the right direction.”
