The news was shocking to T.J. Watt’s teammates. The Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker sustained a partially collapsed lung while undergoing medical treatment at the team facility on Wednesday and underwent surgery on Thursday.

Unsurprisingly, Watt has been ruled out of Monday night’s game against the visiting Miami Dolphins at Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers have three more regular-season games left after that, and his status is unclear.

Advertisement

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Friday that Watt was home and “resting comfortably.”

Watt’s lung collapsed during dry needling treatment. Dry needling is used by physical therapists and acupuncturists to treat pain and movement issues. Medical professionals insert needles under the skin to target trigger points in muscles.

Watt’s teammates were justifiably concerned.

“T.J.’s a really good friend of mine,” defensive tackle Cam Heyward said. “One thing we always care about is how the man is doing, and you never want to hear anything like that ever happen. More concerned with just how he’s doing on a friend level and as a brother.”

Advertisement

Watt has been reliable and durable, and missing Monday night’s game will end a streak of 56 consecutive starts. The Steelers aren’t as concerned about how they will make up for missing Watt against the Dolphins as they are about his long-term health. Rookie linebacker Jack Sawyer felt relieved after texting with Watt on Friday.

“I think he’s doing well,” Sawyer said. “I care about him more than a football player. You never want to see something like that happen, and you know what he means to us and this organization. That’s one of our brothers, and hopefully he gets back soon.”

Added linebacker Nick Herbig, who, like Watt, is a Wisconsin alumnus: “That’s my dawg. Praying for him, praying that everything’s going to be all right.”

Watt is in his ninth season and was the Steelers’ first-round draft pick in 2017. He has been selected to seven Pro Bowls and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 when he tied the league single-season record with 22 ½ sacks. The Steelers signed Watt to a three-year, $123-million contract extension in July with $108 million guaranteed.

“T.J.’s done a great job of being a leader, not just in the room, but in the whole building, the organization,” Herbig said. “I think he rubs off on a lot of people in the right way.”