Steelers' TJ Watt Has Mysterious Problem With Lung Revealed After New Report

The Pittsburgh Steelers had to deal with a relatively scary situation on Wednesday and fans found out not too long after the TJ Watt had to be hospitalized due to an issue with his lung. There was a lot of speculation about what could be wrong with the star edge rusher, as these types of ailments don't typically happen when someone is playing on a football field. On top of that, the team was off on Wednesday, so it was immediately known that something else was going on with one of the team's captains and most important players.

On Friday morning, top NFL insider Tom Pelissero appeared on Good Morning Football to give an update, which led to someone finally giving at least a little bit more of an update on what is going on with Watt. After going through a lift at the Steelers' facility on Wednesday, the edge rusher had some pain and there were different tests and x-rays done that showed nothing. After further evaluation, the actual cause of Watt's pain was revealed.

"They did some additional tests that showed a small issue, like a tiny hole in his lung, that then [he] had to be sent to the hospital [to get it] fixed," Pelissero stated."

This was a scary situation that seems to have turned out to not be the worst possible case scenario. Based on the mysterious nature of the issue and the team's silence, no one externally really knew what to believe about the hospital trip. Overall, Watt should recover just fine, but Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins is probably not a contest in which fans will see him play, per Pelissero.

"This is not a major issue — easy for me to say, it's not my lung. But, not any type of a major or long-term issue for TJ Watt. The issue has been fixed. What he needs now is rest. That's where, while you never rule out a guy like TJ Watt, it does seem unlikely that he's going to be available on Monday night."

The overall concern was for Watt's long-term health originally, so it is very refreshing to finally get some sort of positive update regarding what is going on with the 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year. There will be some steps he has to take to recover and get back on the field, but the main takeaway from Pelissero's new reporting is that the pass rusher should be fine after resting.

Watt seems to have escaped a much worse situation as there were plenty of guesses that he may have been on the receiving end of an improper injection from the training staff. The issue with that theory ended up being that any sort of blockage performed my medical personnel would have occurred much closer to the actual game itself.

Others, including Dr. David J. Chao, were originally worried that Watt may have suffered some sort of pulmonary embolism, or blood clot. Thankfully, it appears as if that is also not the case. Overall, going to the hospital and being admitted due to an issue in someone's lung can mean several different things. The good news, it seems, is that Watt did not go through any of the worst possible outcomes.

Steelers Hope To Have Watt Ready For Week 16 Battle Against The Detroit Lions

Watt's rest and recovery will determine his future availability, but Pelissero didn't officially rule the defender out for Week 15. This suggests that Watt could potentially be ready to go when the Steelers travel to play the Detroit Lions in Week 16. Time will tell what the full extent of the ailment is, but fans, and Watt's family, seem to be now breathing a sigh of relief.

Do you think the Steelers will tell Watt he is out on Monday regardless of how much he wants to play? Let us know in the comments below!

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