Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt won't play against the Miami Dolphins.
According to his brother, J.J., Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt had successful surgery on Thursday to repair a partially collapsed lung that he sustained after a dry needling session at the team practice facility on Wednesday.
Watt's recovery timeline is still to be determined. He is set to be released from the hospital on Friday.
Watt probably won't play on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins.
A future Hall of Famer, Watt has 7.0 sacks, 22 solo tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 18 QB hits this season for the Steelers, who are in first place in the AFC North. The Black and Gold are 7-6.
Watt signed a three-year, $123 million extension in July. He's one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history.
Watt has 115.0 sacks with the Steelers. He won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2021.
If Watt is unable to play Monday against the Dolphins, the Steelers would rely on a rotation of pass rushers in Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer.
"I think T.J.'s done a great job of being a leader, not just in the room, but in the whole building, the organization," Herbig said. "I think he rubs off on a lot of people in the right way, and I'm not worried at all because we have great guys, great leaders that'll pick up that slack. I think that he's prepared, not just myself, but a bunch of the younger guys in that sense to be able to take on that larger role, not just as a player but as a leader and bringing that energy."
Pittsburgh hasn't won a playoff game since the 2016 season, but the franchise has been the model of consistency in the regular season.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Steelers are two wins away from having a winning season for the 22nd consecutive year.
The Steelers have four games left in the regular season. They face the Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.