J.J. Watt breaks his silence to release new details on what exactly happened to Steelers’ T.J. Watt and when he is expected back
J.J. Watt revealed what caused T.J. Watt to need lung surgery, and when we can expect him back on the field.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were excited for this week’s prep against the Miami Dolphins because it meant an extra day of recovery and rest ahead of Monday Night Football. The hopes were that the Steelers would finally have the entire array of players in their front seven at their disposal against a red-hot Dolphins team.
Much of that was to do with the return to practice of standout rookie Derrick Harmon. But the emotion quickly turned on Thursday when it was revealed that T.J. Watt was sent to the hospital with lung issues. And while the info on what happened had been scattershot, his brother J.J. divulged exactly what happened on Friday.
T.J. Watt sent to hospital after dry needling treatment
“Yesterday, T.J. had successful surgery to stabilize and repair a partially collapsed lung suffered Wednesday after a dry needling treatment session at the facility,” wrote his brother J.J. on X-Twitter. “Recovery timeline is still TBD, but all went well and he is being released from the hospital today. He and his family are very appreciative of everyone’s kind words and well wishes.”
When will T.J. Watt play again?
“Steelers star TJ Watt is expected to play again this season following surgery on his partially collapsed lung after a dry needling treatment, sources say,” wrote Ian Rapoport of NFL Network via Instagram on Friday. “Sometimes this heals on its own. This didn’t, so surgery was necessary. A scary 24 hours. But full recovery expected.”
Update: Mike Tomlin said on Friday that T.J. Watt will be out for the Dolphins game and he doesn’t know how long Watt will be out.
How was T.J. Watt’s lung punctured?
“Dry needling is a treatment many, many players do at the team facility without issue to alleviate general soreness, added Rapoport. Following one treatment, TJ Watt was left in extreme pain, and doctors quickly sent him to the hospital. A harrowing experience. But minor surgery & full recovery.”
You never want to count out a player like Watt, and he is technically still questionable as of publish time, but it feels like a tall task for a player who has a hole in his lung, to be ready to go and compete at an elite level in temperatures that will feel like single digits. The sentence “expected to play again this season” is a good omen, all things considered, but it’s safe to say that pessimism for his outlook on Monday Night is warranted.
The good news is that Watt will be released from the hospital and he seems to have skirted any major harm. Harm that goes well beyond his ability to play football in the NFL. We await further details and a definitive timeline, and we will keep you updated as the information rolls in.
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