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Pittsburgh Steelers star edge rusher TJ Watt has missed several games after dealing with a collapsed lung injury in early December. However, it appears he is set to finally return with the AFC North title on the line.
Reports indicate that Watt, who is 31 years old, is “feeling good” after confirming he’ll be returning to action, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. Watt has missed the Steelers’ past three games but is in good spirits ahead of Week 18.
“I feel really good,” claimed Watt. “Not sure that I could’ve said that a week ago. … I’m excited to play.”
When asked about his collapsed lung incident, the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year claimed that it was a freak accident, per AP National Writer Will Graves. TJ Watt received a dry needle treatment, which is something he’s done his entire career, that just happened to be an issue this time around.
“TJ Watt called the dry needling mishap that led to his collapsed lung a ‘fluke.’ Said he’d been doing that treatment for a while but is going to take a break.”
So, the Steelers will have the four-time First-Team All-Pro back in the lineup for the Week 18 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. It’s essentially a playoff game, as the winner of that contest wins the AFC North, thus clinching a spot in the postseason. Having TJ Watt on the field is an advantage Pittsburgh has been missing in recent weeks.
Watt enters the contest with 13 games played under his belt this season. Despite having missed some time this year, he’s been just as efficient as ever. The seven-time Pro Bowler enters the game with 53 combined tackles (22 solo), seven sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception.
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