T.J. Watt has a hole in his lung, and that was the medical issue that forced him to be hospitalized. According to a report from Tom Pelissero, this is what happened to the star player just days before the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Miami Dolphins.
“What I can tell you is that there would have been no reason for the Steelers to give any of the type of treatment that Tyrod Taylor was getting five years ago, considering they didn’t even practice on Wednesday. My understanding of the timeline is this, T.J. Watt came into the facility on Wednesday morning, which was actually a player’s off day, he was coming in for a lift and just felt like he was having some pain. He actually went through, did his lift, did his workout, then went for his normal treatment, was still having pain, and so they decided to get him checked out.”
In 2020, Tyrod Taylor’s lung was accidentally punctured by the Chargers’ medical staff, and with no updates on Watt’s situation, many rumors pointed to something similar. That has been completely ruled out and, on a positive note, it seems the linebacker will return soon to help the Steelers in a possible Super Bowl run.
What is T.J. Watt’s injury?
T.J. Watt’s injury has been reported by Tom Pelissero as a tiny hole in his lung that, apparently, won’t have serious consequences for the player. At first, it was believed the issue was in other areas of his body, but different medical tests confirmed the diagnosis.
“Initially, they thought maybe it could be a collarbone issue based on where the pain was. They ruled that out. They then sent him for X-rays on his rib. Those came back negative. They did some additional tests that showed a small issue, like a tiny hole in his lung that then needed to be sent to the hospital and fixed. So, at this point, 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 T.J. Watt. The issue has been fixed. What he needs now is rest.”
This explanation matches what Mike Tomlin said about Watt being in the cafeteria inside the Steelers’ facility when he felt the discomfort and was later taken to the hospital to be evaluated.
Will T.J. Watt play for Steelers against Dolphins?
T.J. Watt would not play for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Miami Dolphins, according to Tom Pelissero. “You never rule out a guy like T.J. Watt. It does seem unlikely that he’s gonna be available on Monday night.”