The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the middle of a very pivotal point in the season after taking the lead in the AFC North by beating the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14. The only playoff team the division will likely have in 2025 will be the winner, so that makes these last four games of the season extremely important. Pittsburgh got bad and scary news earlier in the week as it was reported that star outside linebacker TJ Watt suffered a collapsed lung while going through a dry needling session at the team's facility. He had to go through a minor surgery to repair the lung, and he has been ruled out for Pittsburgh's Week 15 contest with the Miami Dolphins.
Joe Sargent / Getty Images
Steelers superstar edge rusher TJ Watt lets out a thunderous roar after delivering a game-changing play against the Cleveland Browns, igniting the crowd and fueling Pittsburgh’s defensive momentum.
Watt has been one of the most decorated players in the league since being drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett was also selected during that draft, except he went with the first overall pick. The two are natural rivals as they player for rival teams, both are edge rushers, both entered the league at the same time, and they each have been tabbed the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Garrett spoke to the media on Friday where he was asked about Watt's scary situation, and he noted that he reached out to his counterpart.
"Well since you asked, I reached out to him," Garrett said. "I don't have his number or anything, but I reached out to him to see if he's alright. So I'm hoping for the best. At the end of the day, our teams may be rivals, they might create a rivalry between us, but he's not my enemy. I'm hoping for the best, you know for him and his health and hoping that he comes back soon or whatever it is. You said it was a collapsed lung? That's more than I knew. I'm praying for the best for the Watt family."
Garrett has taken jabs at Watt and the Steelers before through his weekly press conferences, but he seemed to truly care about the wellbeing of Watt on Friday. It is a scary situation that probably shook a lot of players around the NFL. A ton of players go through dry needling during the week to recover, so it could have happened to anybody.
Matt Durisko / AP Photo
Steelers' TJ Watt chats with Browns' Myles Garrett after a game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh at the end of the 2022 season.
This injury of course comes at a bad time for Pittsburgh, but Watt's health and wellbeing are more important that any sort of playoff aspirations. This is a scary injury that could wound up being much worse, and it is frightening that something like this could happen within the walls of the team's facility.
Players who have been hurt by their respective team's training staff or team doctor before have taken legal action. Tyrod Taylor sued for something similar after being injured near the start of the 2020 season with the Los Angeles Chargers, and that is certainly a possibility for Watt if he and his representation want to pursue that.
Steelers May Be Without TJ Watt For Weeks
Taylor missed four weeks back in 2020 when he had a lung injury due to his lung being punctured by a pain-killer injection. A timetable for Watt has not presented yet, but he is at least ruled out for Pittsburgh's matchup with the Dolphins on Monday Night Football in Week 15 as mentioned. It should be expected that he would miss a couple of weeks at least, which could put his status in jeopardy for Pittsburgh's Week 17 clash with Garrett and the Browns in Cleveland.
Tyler Moody / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher TJ Watt has been held throughout his career, and yet he still dominates regularly.
It is important that Watt does not rush to get back on the field, as lung issues are nothing to play around with.
What do you think about Garrett's comments on Watt's injury? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
