T.J. Watt Suffered Partially Collapsed Lung During Needling Treatment, Had Surgery

T.J. Watt underwent successful surgery on a partially collapsed lung he suffered Wednesday after receiving dry needling treatment at the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice facility, his brother JJ Watt announced Friday.

Watt is being released from the hospital Friday. He won't play on Monday night against the Miami Dolphins, head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters.

The Steelers announced Wednesday that Watt had been admitted to the hospital for medical evaluation of his lung after "experiencing discomfort" at the practice facility.

Tomlin told reporters Thursday he had spoken with Watt during the linebacker's stay in a local hopsital, per Steelers.com's Teresa Varley.

"He and I communicated last night, he was comfortable, and that's all I have really at this point," Tomlin said Thursday.

Dry needling is a variety of acupuncture listed on the NFLPA's pain management guide.

New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor previously suffered a punctured lung while undergoing pain management treatment by the Los Angeles Chargers staff in September 2020.

The NFLPA acknowledged Thursday that they were aware of Watt's situation and had been in contact with him and his representatives, according to NBC Sports' Mike Florio.

Watt, who appeared in 17 games in each of his last two seasons for the Steelers, started all 13 games of the 2025 season after signing a three-year, $123 million extension in July.

The 31-year-old leads all Steelers defenders with seven sacks and 18 quarterback hits through Week 14.

The Steelers (7-6) hold a narrow lead over the Baltimore Ravens (7-6) for the top of the AFC North. A win on Monday would improve the team's playoff odds to 71 percent, per NFL Next Gen Stats.