Steelers LBs T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig practice again Friday

Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt participated in practice all week, leaving the decision of whether to play him Sunday at Cleveland in the hands of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

Watt and Nick Herbig were on the field Friday for the third consecutive day.

But Watt was not made available for his usual Friday media session, a possible indication he's not fully cleared to play this week.

Watt, 31, hasn't played in the past two games after sustaining a partially collapsed lung while undergoing a dry needling treatment on Dec. 10 that was intended to stimulate muscle recovery. He had surgery the following day to stabilize and repair the lung.

He has seven sacks in 13 games in 2025.

With Watt out and Herbig fighting a hamstring injury, Tomlin said the team trusts Jack Sawyer will be ready to go if needed after he stepped up the past two weeks.

"Love the work that Jack gave us," Tomlin said. "Certainly, love the work that Alex Highsmith gave us, although we anticipated it from him. But (Jeremiah) Moon as well. Schematically and strategically, you don't replace T.J. and Herbig. We understood that."

If the Steelers clinch a playoff berth on Saturday night by virtue of the Green Bay Packers beating the Baltimore Ravens, Watt and several others could be held out Sunday afternoon at Cleveland.

If the Ravens win at Green Bay, the Week 18 finale between AFC North rivals in Pittsburgh decides the division.

Tomlin said the questions with Watt are not football-related but "medical" in nature, limiting his insight on the matter. From a strictly football standpoint, Tomlin said Watt appears to be fully healed.