Nov 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) looks on during warmups before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Steelers' T.J. Watt Had Hole in His Lung

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Noah Strackbein | Last updated Dec 12, 2025 10:13 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping for the best with star linebacker T.J. Watt, but they're also being cautious about the situation. The team announced that Watt was hospitalized with a lung issue and spent the night getting care and being overlooked.

Head coach Mike Tomlin spoke to local media about the situation but only knew that more testing was needed before the team really knew what was going on.

"I'm a little bit cautious about what I say because I'm not a medical expert, but to make a long story short. He was experiencing some discomfort when he was at the facility yesterday, and so we took him to the docs, and they are going through some procedures," he said. "He stayed overnight in the hospital. He has a lung situation that's being addressed. I think he has some testing and so forth ahead of him this afternoon. And that's all I know at this juncture."

Now, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero is making it known what exactly occured that led to Watt being hospitalized.

.@TomPelissero shares the latest on T.J. Watt pic.twitter.com/cgclXPcKTB
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) December 12, 2025

"My understanding of the timeline is this. T.J. Watt came into the facility on Wednesday morning, which was actually a player’s day off," Pelissero said on NFL Network. "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. 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."

"So at this point, this is not a major issue. Not any type of major long-term issue for T.J. Watt. The issue has been fixed. What he needs now is rest.”

Watt Not Expected to Play

It's believed that Watt is a long-shot to play against the Miami Dolphins in Week 15 of the season, but Pelissero's report does clear up a lot of speculation and concern about what was happening with the star outside linebacker.

If Watt does not play, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith will start on the outside with Jack Sawyer coming off the bench. They could utilize DeMarvin Leal as their fourth edge rusher, if they chose to call him up from the practice squad.

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This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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