Steelers Now
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network provided the latest on Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt’s recovery after undergoing unexpected lung surgery that kept him out of Monday night’s game against the Miami Dolphins.
Watt suffered a partially collapsed lung last Wednesday after undergoing a dry needling procedure following his workout at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. He was taken to a local hospital and had a procedure to repair the injury, and was released.
“Starting with Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt, who has not practiced this week and now appears unlikely to return to action on Sunday against the Lions. Watt missed last week’s game after undergoing a procedure to fix a small hole in his lung. There was some optimism initially that Watt might only miss one game, but at this point he is taking it slow in terms of his recovery,” Pelissero said. “Really, the game that matters for the Steelers, quite possibly, is still two weeks away because even if the Steelers lose their next two games and the Ravens win their next two games, it is still winner take all Week 18 when those Steelers and Ravens meet once again.”
Watt was back at the team’s practice facility on Thursday, for the first confirmed time since suffering a partially collapsed lung last week.
The Steelers released a photo of Watt in the building on Thursday, enjoying an annual holiday visit from members of the Pittsburgh Symphony along with his teammates.
“Yeah, he’s working through it. He’s working through it,” J.J. Watt said of his brother’s recovery on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday. “It’s obviously not somewhere that he expected or would like to be. Just handling the situation day by day and making sure to find the appropriate and proper steps to get back to where he would like to be.”
Dry needling is an acupuncture-like physical therapy treatment used by physical therapists to treat pain and movement impairments.
“Yeah, I would say unexpected is the appropriate word,” Watt told McAfee. “Dry needling is incredibly common. Anybody who’s been in the league has probably done it at some point. He was certainly not anticipating being in the hospital and getting lung surgery.”
The NFLPA is aware of the details surrounding the incident, and could begin an investigation.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: NFL Insider Reveals the Latest on T.J. Watt’s Recovery
