Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt was hospitalized Wednesday after experiencing lung-related discomfort at the team’s practice facility, leaving his availability for Monday night’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins in doubt.
The Steelers announced the situation in a statement from team spokesman Burt Lauten, saying: “T.J. Watt is currently in a local hospital for further medical evaluation of his lung after experiencing discomfort at the practice facility on Wednesday. He will not be at practice on Thursday, and his status for Monday night’s game vs. Miami is in question. Coach [Mike] Tomlin will provide more updates at the appropriate time.”
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Thursday: “I’m a little bit cautious about what I say, because I am not a medical expert. But to make a long story short, he was experiencing some discomfort when he was at the facility [Wednesday}. So, we took him to the docs and they’re going through some procedures. He stayed overnight in the hospital. He has a lung situation that’s being addressed. I think he has some testing and so forth ahead of him this afternoon, and that’s all I know at this juncture. He and I communicated last night, he was comfortable, and that’s all I have really at this point.”
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watt reportedly sustained the injury while receiving treatment at the team’s facility and has been hospitalized since Wednesday. Tomlin was he was unaware when or how Watt’s symptoms started, and he only learned of Watt’s situation when he was in the team’s cafeteria on Wednesday. He added that Watt was not dealing with an injury coming out of Week 14’s game: “Not to my knowledge at all, particularly in game or after the game, nothing.”
The 31-year-old Watt is in the middle of his ninth season with the Steelers, and has appeared in all 13 games. He’s registered 53 tackles and seven sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception for the Steelers, who are currently 7-6 and lead the Baltimore Ravens by one game in the AFC North standings. He signed a three-year, $123 million extension in July and has remained one of the league’s most consistent pass rushers.
Watt, selected by the Steelers as the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, is a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro. He won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 after tying the league’s single-season record of 22.5 sacks. Watt, who has led the NFL in sacks on three separate occasions, 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.
If Watt is ruled out of Monday’s game vs. Miami, he will be replaced by Nick Herbig, who has made nine starts over the past two years. Herbig has recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks to go with three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception this season.
The Steelers’ wideout DK Metcalf’s was also hospitalized in Baltimore after experiencing stomach pains following Pittsburgh’s Week 14 win over the Ravens. Tomlin said earlier this week that Metcalf is “moving in the right direction.” The team is also dealing with injuries to tight end Darnell Washington, offensive tackle Andrus Peat, linebacker Malik Harrison, cornerback James Pierre, defensive linemen Keeanu Benton and Derrick Harmon, and safety Kyle Dugger.
Washington, Peat, and Harrison are in the concussion protocol; while Pierre and Benton are dealing with calf and ankle injuries, respectively, that were sustained during last Sunday’s win over Baltimore. Dugger (hand) has a chance to play against the Dolphins after missing last Sunday’s game. Harmon’s status for Monday night is up on the air as he has missed Pittsburgh’s last two games with a knee injury.
Pittsburgh (7-6) hosts Miami on Monday night at Acrisure Stadium in a pivotal matchup with AFC playoff implications.
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