The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t seem to avoid bad news when it comes to linebacker T.J. Watt.
Watt, who underwent successful surgery to stabilize and repair a partially collapsed lung that was suffered during a dry needling treatment session at the facility two weeks ago, was ruled out earlier this week for Sunday’s matchup with the Detroit Lions — which will be his second consecutive absence after missing the previous week’s victory over the Miami Dolphins.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter issued a worrying report regarding the future status of the superstar pass-rusher on Saturday, however, which certainly seems to point toward an extended absence…
“After missing two games due to a partially collapsed lung, T.J. Watt’s return to play remains murky and uncertain, per sources,” Schefter wrote in a post to X. “Watt’s focus has been on getting healthy from his partially collapsed lung; returning to play is secondary, and has not been his focus. Doctors will assess how he feels next week to see if there’s even a chance to play in Week 17, but ideally Watt gets more time to recover from his lung injury that resulted in him being ruled out of Sunday’s game vs. Detroit.”
The Steelers have suffered multiple hits to that position lately, with Nick Herbig (hamstring) being ruled out earlier on Saturday. Jack Sawyer will make his first career start alongside Alex Highsmith, while recently the re-acquired Jeremiah Moon and practice squadder DeMarvin Leal will provide some much-needed depth on the edge.
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Watt’s return can’t come soon enough, but in all likelihood, looks like it could extend toward the finals days of the regular season — if not even further.
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